


A Mermaid's Tale

by princessamaterasu



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Betrayal, F/M, Family, Friendship, Leviathan - Freeform, Love, Magic, Mermaids, Ocean, Pirates, Reader-Insert, Romance, Sacrifice, Sailing, Sibling Rivalry, Storytelling, Supernatural Elements, Wild goose chase
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-06
Updated: 2014-02-06
Packaged: 2018-01-11 10:49:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 76,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1172167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessamaterasu/pseuds/princessamaterasu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first rule of being a mermaid is don't get caught. The second is don't fall in love with humans. Somehow I managed to do both when I get dragged aboard the Queen Lady in a fish net by some grungy looking guys with swords. That can only mean one thing. Pirates... Arthur didn't mean to fall for a mermaid, but then again he didn't mean to catch her either. Now he has to sail around the world to save her, and himself, before it's too late. Mermaid!Reader x Pirate!England</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there everyone :) I'm back with another story and I'm really excited about it! I haven't written about our good friend Iggy in a while, so I'm looking forward to having him as the main love interest. So, let's sit back and see where this voyage takes us ;)
> 
> I don't own Hetalia or it's characters :/

The coastal town of Wend receives visitors and travelers quite often because of its location on the mouth of the River Kalip, which empties into the Sea of Gamn. It is also tormented by tropical storms quite frequently for the same reason. Both are currently plaguing the trading town, although visitors are not considered a nuisance by the indigenous people. They thrive on the wealth brought to their town by its convenient location, and do not hesitate to raise their prices to make profits larger.

The night's storm is particularly brutal, and many have taken shelter in the local tavern, both foreigner and native alike. Countless candles have been lit to illuminate the dingy pub, who's patrons are as gloomy as the building they occupy. The air carries with it a dampness that comes from the storm, which rages like a Leviathan. None of the men inside the tavern had ever seen the beast save for one.

He sits at a small, secluded table keeping very much to himself. A stump of a candle drips wax onto the scarred surface of the table. The man's face is weathered, scarred, and much resembles the table he sits beside. A dirty tankard waits patiently for the man to drain its contents as the storm continues to wail unhindered.

"Y'ah, that's 'im alright." A trio of men approach the lone man with an air of confidence and curiosity. "'E's the pirate."

One of the men steps forward. "You there, pirate. Look at us."

The man slowly turns to meet them with tired eyes. He looks to be middle aged, yet in the depth of his eyes is reflected a faint, but potent, glimmer of undying youth. The trio do not fail to recognize this latent quality, and although they do not fully comprehend its significance, they recognize its ethereal nature. Time seems to flow past this man without leaving its crippling and indelible mark.

"Say somethin', pirate."

"What makes ya soft bellied landlubbers think me a pirate, eh?"

"See? He talks like one!" One of the men looks on with wide, robin's egg eyes. "He's a real pirate!"

"But 'e can't be a real pirate. There ain't been a pirate 'round these parts fo'...a 'undred yea's!"

"So is he a pirate or not?"

"Why don' ya ask th' pirate if 'e's a pirate, eh?" the man growls.

The trio go silent. "W-well, are you?"

"Ah reckon ahm as much of a pirate as ah look," he answers.

Excitement flies like iridescent sparks as the trio murmurs among themselves. The wide eyed man, which is by far the youngest of the three, steps forward nervously. "Um...we were hoping you could...tell us a story."

A hearty and boisterous rumble fills the tavern. The pirate wipes a tear from his scruffy and smiling cheek. "A story, eh? Well, at least ya go yer pale 'eads screwed on right. Anyone wit' 'alf a brain knows pirates 'ave the best stories t' tell. Can't keep their yaps shut fer a swig o' rum though." He chuckles again. "Take a seat, boys! I 'ave just the story for ya. It'll make yer mangy, landlubbin' 'eads spin like a drunken gull on a windy day. 'Appened a good long time ago if me noggin' be correct. It started when our Cap'n got all tangled up wit' a mermaid like a wig'ly fish in a net."

* * *

"Some'ne git the Cap'n!" a big, burly man roared to the rest of the crew. He was the first mate aboard the Queen Lady, and no one dared contradict him.

The rest of the crew that didn't go to fetch the Captain stood around and gaped in amazement. The pirate ship had been engaging in some illegal fish netting when the nets had suddenly grown heavy. Once aboard, it was obvious what had caused the sudden change. A single, large blue green fin poked out of the writhing mass of mackerel.

"What seems to be the problem, boys?" Captain Arthur Kirkland walked down the path made for him by his crew. His heavy boots thudded against the damp wood of the deck, and various pieces of jewelry jingled together as he made his way to the nets. He looked the role of a pirate captain from his wide, plumed hat to his scuffed black boots.

"There's somthin' in the nets, Cap'n," answered a mousey little man many the crew called Squeaker. He had a red and white striped bandana tied around his head as if trying to prevent the wind from blowing away the rest of his sparse hair.

The Captain sighed and closed his eyes. "Isn't that the point of having a net, or are you flea bitten idiots too stupid to realize that?"

"No, Cap'n! It's somethin' that ain't supposed t' be in the net!" Squeaker exclaimed.

"Christov, did we catch more driftwood again?" the Captain asked his first mate. "How many times do I have to tell you to just throw it overboard?"

"It's not driftwood, Cap'n," the burly man replied. "That's why ye were called up 'ere. We ain't never seen nothin' like this b'fore."

This intrigued the Captain, who looked to confirm the story in the eyes of the rest of the crew. "Let me see it."

Queen Lady's crew parted the rest of the way for their Captain. He walked past them to the pile of fish, which was slowly starting to grow still. It was extremely obvious that something was not as it should be.

"What is that, Christov?"

"We ain't got the foggiest bit of a clue. That's why we went an' got ya, Cap'n. We was hoping ye could tell us." The first mate shifted on his feet nervously. He didn't like the idea of not knowing something.

"Well, first things first, we need to get this pile of fish off...whatever it is," the Captain murmured. "James!"

"Yes, sah?" A middle aged man stepped toward and quickly saluted.

"Get some of the men to help you put the fish in storage. It has to stay fresh until we get to Wend or no one in their right minds will buy the lot of it."

"A'right, Cap'n!" The man began to shout orders to the men watching the scene take place.

"Would ya like t' go back t' yer quarters, Cap'n," Christov asked. "We can have someone git ya when it's all done."

"No, I think I'd prefer to stay, if that's alright with you, Christov."

"Cert'nly, Cap'n."

"Uncle Arthur!" A young boy of no more than twelve came running across the deck toward the pirate Captain. "Uncle Arthur! Sqeaker said something brilliant was happening! Can I stay and watch? Please can I?"

Captain Kirkland looked down fondly at his nephew. The poor lad lost his parents at a young age and had been taken in by the pirate Captain. Everyone on the crew became quite fond of the boy not long after his arrival, and Arthur had a tough time keeping him out of whatever trouble the rowdy crew was always getting into.

"I don't know, Peter. I'd hate for anything to happen," the Captain said thoughtfully.

"Please? I never get to do anything fun around here! You have to let me watch!"

"Alright," Captain Kirkland agreed with a sigh. "Just don't touch anything, and try not to get in the way."

With an excited shout, the boy ran off to join in the commotion. Men walked this way and that while hauling fish below deck. There was still quite a ways to go before the mysterious object could be uncovered.

"Do you think I spoil him?" Arthur asked his first mate.

"Without a doubt, Cap'n," he answered. "The whole crew does. That boy 'as 'em all wrapped 'round 'is lit'le fin'er better then the ropes 'round the bloody mast."

"God help us when he starts asking us to fight." The Captain shuddered. "He'd be running off with every knife, cutlass, and revolver aboard the whole ship!"

"It's goin' t' take more then God to stop that boy."

"Yes, that's what I'm afraid of."

The Captain and the first mate continued to watch the crew hustle and bustle about. Most of the men were the usual pirate type; big, dirty, foul mouthed, and armed to the teeth. They grumbled and grunted as they carried the mackerel away. The few that stood apart from the motley crew were James and Squeaker. They worked as hard as the others, but there was something about them that made the others doubt whether they could really kill a man if needed to.

"Cap'n! Cap'n! Come quick! It's a gurl!"

"What in bloody blazes...?" Captain Kirkland stepped forward to see for himself what all the commotion was about.

He pushed his way through his crew, who were too stunned to move out of his way like they were expected to. The men were gaping at something, or someone, lying on the deck with a few remaining fish flopping pathetically around her. She looked normal in every way, except for the shining tail that was where her feet should have been.

"What in the name of all that's wet an' slip'ry is that?" Christov questioned amazed.

"Is she a fish or a gurl?" Squeaker asked no one in particular.

A wide grin spread across Arthur's face. "Looks like we caught ourselves a mermaid, boys."


	2. Chapter 2

I felt myself slowly beginning to wake up and tried to pull my mind into consciousness. When my eyes opened, I looked around and realized my surroundings were completely foreign, and definitely not the ocean. I sat up a little straighter, which caused the water around me to slosh a bit. Upon closer inspection, I realized I was in a tub.

Yes, a tub. I wasn't sure if it was more disconcerting to wake up in an unknown place or to wake up in a tub. It was one of those white porcelain tubs that had water up to my waist. I was actually very glad for the water because without it I wouldn't have lasted very long. Obviously, someone had known that and put me in here.

Suddenly, something made a soft thud, and someone cursed softly under their breath. A small, blonde head poked up over the edge of the tub, and two of the widest bluest eyes I had ever seen watched me carefully. I also noted that this boy had the biggest eyebrows I had ever seen as well.

"Are you really a mermaid?" the boy asked me.

"What do you think, little one?"

"I-I'm not sure. I haven't seen your tail yet..." He trailed off, but his eyes quickly flickered down to the water.

"You mean this?" I slowly lifted my blue green tail out of the water for him to see. It shimmered in the dim light, and I couldn't help but be a little proud of it.

"Wow!" His eyes become wider than I previously thought possible. "You really are a mermaid!"

"Of course I am," I said.

"Everything got really crazy when Uncle Arthur said you were a mermaid, so I didn't get to see you before."

"I see." An idea came to my mind, and I decided it was better to act now rather than later. "What is your name, little one?"

"I'm Pe-"

Right at that moment, the door slammed open, and I silently cursed. I was so close to learning the boy's name. Two men entered the room and observed the scene before them carefully. One of the men was tall and thick, but dressed very plainly. The other was obviously the one in charge. He had on a plumed hat, a bright jacket, tight pants, ruffles, rings, earrings, and thick boots that thudded with every step he took. His whole appearance shouted pirate.

"Peter, what are you doing down here? The group going ashore already left without you," the pirate said.

"S-sorry Uncle Arthur. I just wanted to see the mermaid."

So, the boy's name was Peter. Unfortunately, I needed his full name, so I was still without a full proof plan of escape. The pirate, which was apparently the boy's uncle, sighed and shook his head.

"Christov, take Peter outside. I would like to speak with our guess alone."

The other man nodded and followed the boy out of the room. I watched as the door closed with a soft click. The pirate moved closer to my tub, and I took the opportunity to size him up. I doubted I could beat him physically, but I knew I could beat him mentally. He was human after all, and humans are easily tricked.

"So, I take it you're the leader here," I said.

A smirk appeared on the pirate's face as he sat down on a stool next to my tub. "They don't call me Captain for nothing, love."

"That means I'm on a pirate ship then."

"That's correct. You're aboard the Queen Lady, one of the most feared pirate ships on the high seas," he replied with more than a healthy dose of pride in his voice.

"And that boy is your nephew? Seems odd to have such a young child aboard a pirate ship."

This didn't get a response right away. "He's not technically my nephew, but he still calls me uncle."

"But you are related."

"How can you tell?" He seemed curious to hear my logic.

"The Leviathan sized eyebrows," I said as I pointed to the Captain's oversized brows.

The smirk instantly disappeared from his face, and he turned a bright red color. Without warning, I was staring down at a sharp cutlass blade being pressed against my throat.

"You're a guest aboard my ship, see, and it wouldn't be very courteous to start any trouble. Do you understand?"

I carefully nodded. Eyebrows were apparently not to be brought up, ever. He pulled the blade away from my throat and put it back in its sheath.

"So, why am I onboard your ship, pirate?" I asked as if nothing happened.

"That's Captain to you," he said with a pointed look. "We were doing some...business further out in the Sea of Hess when we happened upon you. We didn't think it would be right to throw you back in your condition, so we put you here."

"Throw me back? What were you doing?"

"It's not nice to interrupt someone when they're talking, love. Now, where was I? Oh yes. We kept you here, and now we're docked in Wend unloading some cargo. As soon as we're done we'll be setting sail to drop off one last bit of cargo."

"What would that be?" I was afraid I already knew the answer.

"Well, that would be you, love." The Captain's smirk grew, and I decided I really disliked this man. "It's not everyday we come across a mermaid, and I know someone in Gaal that would pay a handsome price for you."

"That's disgusting." Anger coursed through me, and I swore to myself that I would make him pay.

"Is it, love?" He leaned in close and ran his fingers across my jawline. "A pirate has to do what a pirate has to do."

"Then let me go," I gasp. Having him so close made me short of breath. As much as he disgusted me, I also found him maddeningly attractive.

"Where's the fun in that? You don't earn the reputation as one of the most feared pirate captains on the seas by letting people go you know." He tilted my chin up with his fingers, which brought my face closer to his and made my heart race. "And I am one of the most feared pirate captains on the seas."

It was difficult trying to keep my head clear when every part of me was screaming to grab him and pull him into the tub with me. All I had to do was lean in just a little further and he would be mine. "Well, I've never heard of you."

"What?" He pulled back in outrage. "You've never heard of me? I'm THE Arthur Kirkland, Captain of the Queen Lady!"

I could barely hide my triumphant grin. I had caught him hook, line, and sinker. "I'm sorry, but I've never heard of you. My kind don't really keep up with petty human affairs."

That really seemed to tick him off. He was practically steaming from the ears. "Well, be that as it may, I'm still a pirate, and you're still my cargo. We'll be arriving at Gaal in three days."

"Whatever you say." I crossed my arms and rested them against the edge of the tub so I wasn't looking at the Captain anymore. "I'd like to be left alone now, pirate."

"Fine," he practically spat. I could have sworn he mumbled something along the lines of 'infuriating creature' before opening the door. "And that's Captain to you," he huffed and slammed the door behind him.

"I think you meant Arthur Kirkland," I said to myself once the door was closed. I could feel the magic coursing through my veins, and I knew that he was mine.

* * *

Captain Kirkland stood next to the closed door for a moment before turning to leave. He wasn't completely unaware of the strange tension between him and the mermaid, but he knew it would be better to not get involved. She was just cargo, infuriating cargo, but cargo nonetheless.

Just then, an odd shiver went down his spine, and he felt a strange sensation come over him. It was like having a rope tied around his chest that was being tugged. The sensation passed quickly, and he thought nothing more of it.

He walked down the dim hall to the stairs that led to the deck. At least the rest of the cargo was gone now and the gold would be coming in. Having a pile of fish starting to rot aboard his ship was not the Captain's idea of a good time. He climbed the stairs two at a time, and was glad to smell the salty sea air. It always made him feel better.

A few members of his crew sat on deck playing cards and took turns drinking from a cloudy bottle. He approached them and watched for a moment before addressing them.

"How long have the others been gone?"

"Couldn't be more then a few hours," one of the grungy men answered.

"Did Peter go with them?"

"Christov took 'im off the ship, Cap'n," another man replied. "'E was makin' them sad eyes like a 'alf starved pup, and we didn't 'ave the 'eart t' tell 'im no."

"I'll expect them to be back within the hour," the Captain said more to himself than the others. He bent down and picked up the bottle to take a swig. Nothing like rum to take the edge off. "We'll be setting sail as soon as they get back, boys." He looked out over the sea with longing and urgency in his green eyes. "The sooner the better."


	3. Chapter 3

The Queen Lady sailed north on the calm sea waves while her crew scrambled about like a bunch of gulls. A call had been raised, and everyone was preparing for the worst. Another ship was spotted on the horizon and was closing in fast. There was only one kind of ship that would be brave enough to chase a pirate ship, and that was another pirate ship.

"Squeaker! What be the word on that other ship?" Christov yelled up to the crow's nest.

"Still comin', sah!" the mousey man shouted back.

"Can ya make out what it looks like? The Cap'n needs t' know what kind o' brainless, no good bunch o' scallywags been followin' us for Neptune knows 'ow long."

"I-it's hard to tell, sah." Squeaker peered through a beat up telescope. "Pink and purple sails, sah! It's got pink and purple sails! Ain't nevah seen nothin' like this b'fore!"

Christov cursed loudly. "That be the Bloody Rose. The Cap'n ain't gonna be 'appy t' 'ear this..."

Several hours later, Captain Kirkland stood on the deck of his ship and watched as the other vessel pulled in along side his own. He hated to admit it, but there was no way he could outrun the Bloody Rose. The Queen Lady may have been sturdy, but that by no means translated into speed, and Arthur knew it.

His mood had been in quite foul for a long time, and he glowered dangerously at anyone that walked a little too close. Everyone except Peter of course, who ran around the ship excitedly asking questions to anyone that listened.

"Why does that ship have pink sails?"

"'Cause the cap'n o' that ship 'as got a few screws loose up in the ol' noggin."

"What's the captain like?"

"Cap'n Bonnefoy is the most pompous, silly lookin' pirate ya'd evah meet on the high seas, but 'e somehow keeps 'is men in line."

"Have you ever-"

"Enough, Peter." Captain Kirkland gave the boy a warning look. "It would be better if you stayed below deck and stopped badgering everyone."

Peter looked crestfallen. "Awww, but Uncle! I never get to see anything interesting!"

"No. You are to stay below deck, and that's final." The Captain's voice didn't leave any room to argue, so Peter bowed his head and walked toward the stairs leading below deck.

A low murmur rippled through the men gathered on deck as the Bloody Rose coasted to a stop. Nothing happened for a while, but then a long plank was dropped to span the gap between the two ships. Captain Kirkland tensed as he caught sight of a familiar face grinning at him as the man crossed the plank.

"Ahoy there, Arthur! It's been far too long!"

"What do you want, Francis?"

The flamboyant pirate captain landed on the Queen Lady's deck with a deep bow. He flashed a cocky grin at the ship's crew before focusing his attention back on its captain.

"Why can't I just pop in to say hello? Aren't friends allowed to do that?"

"You're not my friend," Arthur growled. "Now I'll ask you again. What do you want?"

Francis sighed. His ruse had been quickly discovered. "Well, the truth is, rumor has gotten around that you've got your hands on a mermaid, and I just came to see if it was true."

"Where did you hear a thing like that?" Arthur narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He could tell Francis was up to something.

"I was at a bar in Wend, even though I don't usually like places like that, when I heard someone talking very loudly about their captain catching a mermaid."

He didn't have to say anymore because Arthur could put two and two together. He swore to himself that someone was going to be very sorry later that day, but first he had to throw Francis off his trail.

"I don't know what you heard, Francis, but I assure you there is no mermaid aboard this ship."

The other captain studied Arthur with his blue eyes before flipping his long blonde hair. "Well, that's quite a disappointment. I was hoping to see a real live mermaid." He leaned in and nudged Arthur with his elbow. "They say a mermaid is so beautiful that men can't help but falling in love with her. I'm glad you haven't seen one then because they also say mermaids are terrible heartbreakers."

"Then you should have been born a mermaid, Francis," Arthur replied with contempt. He really couldn't stand the womanizing captain of the Bloody Rose.

Francis laughed good naturedly, but he also noticed how Arthur tensed at the thought of falling for a mermaid. He didn't believe Arthur's words one bit. There was a mermaid onboard, and he was determined to find her.

"You've always been a funny one, Arthur, and your sense of style never fails to make me laugh. Ohonhonhon."

"Yes, well, my crew and I still have a long way to go, so if you could excuse us."

"Of course." Francis smirked and turned to return to his own ship, but stopped before stepping on the plank. "Oh, you wouldn't be going to Gaal, would you Arthur?"

"And if we are?" Arthur questioned suspiciously.

"Ah! What good luck! We should travel together, just like old times!"

Arthur grit his teeth. Traveling with Francis is the last thing he wanted to do, but he knew there was no way he could outrun the Bloody Rose. That left him with no choice.

"I suppose so," he grumbled.

"Magnifique! Lead the way, old friend!"

With that, Francis crossed back to his ship, and the plank was withdrawn. Captain Kirkland silently fumed for a moment before turning to his crew. They watched him warily for any sign of what to expect. Meeting with Francis always put him in a bad mood.

"What are you gits waiting for!" the Captain roared. "We've got a long ways to go yet, and it's not going to be pleasant in the least if you don't get moving. Now!" He waited for his crew to spring into action before going to his quarters. All he needed now was a nice bottle of rum.

* * *

The door to my room slowly opened a crack, and a timid face peeked through at me. It was Peter.

"You can come in, little one," I said.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you."

"You're not a bother." I waved him into the room, and he closed the door behind him. "Did your uncle send you here?"

"No. There's something going on, and he wouldn't let me stay."

"What's going on?" I figured if the boy wasn't allowed to stay, it must be serious.

"Another pirate ship's been following us for a while and they finally caught up with us," Peter explained.

"What do they want?"

"I don't know." He sighed. "Uncle Arthur never lets me do anything."

Even though his uncle was a total sleaze ball, my heart went out to the boy. "I know how you feel, little one."

"You do?" His eyes looked up at me curiously.

"Yup. I have an older brother that never lets me do anything. It's always 'You're too small, (y/n)' or 'maybe next time, (y/n)'."

"(Y/n)?"

I silently cursed my carelessness. My name wasn't supposed to be something I divulged with anyone. There's too much power in a name, but I doubted the boy knew what to do with that power.

"Is your name (y/n)?" he asked again.

"Yes little one, it is."

"Well, I'm Peter." He held his hand out to me, and I looked at it curiously. "You're supposed to shake it."

"How? Like this?" I took hold of his fingertips and shook his hand side to side.

"No, no. Like this." He slipped his palm into mine and shook it up and down a few times.

"I'm sorry. I'm not very accustomed to human manners."

"What's it like to be a mermaid?" he asked with wide, wonder filled eyes.

I laughed softly and motioned for him to sit on the stool that was still beside my tub. "Have a seat, little one, and I'll tell you tales that will make your head spin."

"That's what Uncle Arthur always says too," he said as he sat down.

"Well, I doubt your uncle has ever seen the monstrous Leviathan swimming through the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean, has he?"

* * *

It took Captain Kirkland several hours to realize Peter hadn't reappeared after sending him below deck. The boy usually sat next to the stairs so he could come right back up as soon as the commotion was over, but he had yet to resurface.

"Christov, have you seen Peter?"

"Not since ya sent the lad away, Cap'n," the first mate answered.

"Squeaker, have you seen him?"

"No, sah. Ain't seen him all mornin'"

"James, please tell me you've seen the boy."

"Me apologies, Cap'n."

Arthur swore loudly. He stomped off toward the stairs to have a look for himself. The stairs creaked softly as he took them one at a time. It was still light enough that he could see without much trouble, but the oil lamps would have to be lit soon. The Captain took a few steps before pausing. He didn't really have a clue where to search first.

That was when a door caught his eye. Someone had left it slightly ajar, so he decided to have a quick peek inside. He almost forgot it was the extra storage room where they were keeping the mermaid, but the though occurred to him just as he opened the door.

Sure enough, the boy was sitting on a stool with his head rested on his arms, which were leaned against the edge of the mermaid's tub. She was watching him carefully and didn't even look up when the Captain entered the room.

"What have you done to him?" he asked with panic rising in his chest.

"Nothing. He just fell asleep."

Captain Kirkland narrowed his eyes suspiciously. The words Francis spoke about mermaids making men fall in love were still fresh in his mind, and he didn't trust her one bit.

"If you harmed him in any way..."

"I assure you he's fine," the mermaid replied in a frustrated tone. "But he may not enjoy your stories quite so much anymore."

Her smug smile made Arthur feel even more uneasy, so he quickly picked up the boy to put in bed. A strange feeling came over him as he held Peter in his arms. It was a strange fondness that seemed to stem from his heart, although it didn't make much sense to him since he was always fond of the boy.

"There's been a bit of a delay, but we should be arriving at our destination by tomorrow," the Captain said without looking at the mermaid. "I suggest you keep that in mind the next time you feel like causing trouble."

She was about to protest, but he never gave her a chance. Arthur exited the room without another word.


	4. Chapter 4

Everything happened so fast that I could hardly tell what was going on. I woke up to the sound of a door creaking open as three shadowed figures crept into my room. There wasn't a light of any kind, so I couldn't see who the men were. They quickly approached my tub, and before I could make a sound, my mouth was gagged and my hands tied.

I knew then that something was not right. Two of the men lifted me out of the water and carried me toward the door. I fought and wiggled in their grasp with all my might, but the men were a lot stronger than me. They continued to carry me out the door and to the stairs. I finally managed to slap one in the face with my fin, and he cried out in pain. This caused him to let go of me, and I landed on the floor with a heavy thud.

"'Ey! Keep it down back there!" the third man whispered urgently. "If ya blunderin' idiots wake anyone up, we'll all be fish bait!"

"Yeah, yeah. Quit yer bellyachin'."

"If yew two mangey dogs weren't carryin' the goods, ah'd cut ye open meself!"

I bit down on my gag in frustration. Not only was it difficult to move with tied hands and no legs, but these jerks were talking about me as if I was cargo again. If I never saw another pirate again, it would be too soon.

"C'mon then. Pick 'er back up an' lets git outta 'ere. Ye don't want them t' catch us, do ya?"

The two men apparently agreed with the other because they quickly picked me back up and hustled for the stairs. They softly crept across the deck as to not alarm whoever was sitting in the crow's nest on guard duty. I'd hate to be that guy in the morning. Not that I should care since my situation was a tad bit worse at that moment.

I was carried across a plank to another ship and taken below deck. The three men excitedly ran through a maze of halls to a room that was a lot smaller than the one I was being kept on the Queen Lady. They shoved me inside and closed the door without unbinding my wrist or taking my gag out.

It was a long time before the door opened again. I squinted against the sudden harsh light and tried to discern who was standing in the doorway. Whoever it was was a lot better dressed than the pirates who abducted me.

"So, you're the mermaid our good friend Arthur caught," the man said with a grin. He was dressed similarly to Arthur, but the his color choice was a lot more feminine. I assumed he was the Captain. "Oh, how rude of me! Let me take that off for you, ma chérie."

The pirate removed my gag with a flourish and bowed. His wavy blonde hair framed his scruffy face, and his blue eyes never left mine as he bowed. I wasn't sure if I liked him any better than the other pirate captain.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the captain of this ship, the Bloody Rose. Many call me the most fabulous pirate captain to sail the seas, but you can call me Francis."

He winked at me, and I couldn't hold back a shiver of disgust. If possible, this guy was even worse than Arthur. "What do you want with me?" I spat at him.

"Ohonhonhon! A fine question, ma chérie." He flicked his hair away from his face. "Mermaids are the most beautiful creatures in the sea. When I heard Arthur caught one, I had to have it for myself. A beautiful creature for a beautiful man."

These pirates were all the same. To them I wasn't a living person. I was an item, a thing to collect or trade. Anger boiled inside of me, and I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white. The ship jerked violently as if it had been struck by a wave.

"Let me go, you pig, or you'll be sorry!" I growled through clenched teeth.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." His previously playful eyes hardened dangerously. "You're mine now, you see, and I'll do what I want with you."

"Arthur will come after you." I did my best to hide the fear beginning to pool like ice in my stomach.

Francis laughed. "I wouldn't count on it, ma chérie. The Bloody Rose is the fastest ship on the sea. There's no way an ugly thing like the Queen Lady could ever catch up to us."

He must have found this thought very amusing because he continued to laugh as he closed the door. Darkness swallowed me up at the same time my panic did.

* * *

Captain Kirkland sat at his desk with a quill balanced precariously between his fingers. He was doing some logistics in his ledger book for the last shipment of fish they had sold in Wend. Arthur wasn't the type to let this kind of paperwork slip through the cracks. He liked to know exactly how much gold he had, and how much he owed. There hadn't been any red ink in the book for years.

"Cap'n, we have a problem," Christov said as he slammed open the door to the Captain's quarters.

The noise startled Arthur so much that he dropped his quill, which left a messy ink blot on his ledger. "Oh for the love of...what is it, Christov?"

"We found Jamison dead this mornin' sah."

"Dead?" The Captain looked up from trying to wipe away the ink with a handkerchief.

"Yes, as dead as a fishie outta water."

"Well, does anyone know what happened? Did you ask the people he sleeps by? Not that they would notice since they all snore like walruses..."

"He was on watch last night, Cap'n"

This made Arthur's blood run cold. "The Bloody Rose?"

"Gone. And the mermaid's missin' too."

"What?" The Captain jumped to his feet. "Where is she?"

"We ain't sure. We was hopin' ya might have an idea," the first mate answered as he shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"Oh, I have an idea alright." Captain Kirkland pushed past Christov and stomped across the deck. "All hands on deck! Everyone get to their positions and wait for my command!"

Peter's blonde head poked up from between some barrels. "Is something wrong, Uncle Arthur?"

"It's none of your concern, Peter." The Captain walked past the boy on his way to the helm.

"But-"

"Why don't you go help Squeaker keep a lookout? I'll need sharp eyes up there."

"Yes sir!" Peter shouted happily. He turned to run, but stopped before taking more than a couple steps. "What exactly am I looking for, Uncle?"

"Pink and purple sails," Arthur growled in reply. He gripped the wheel and steered the ship to the northwest.

~000~

"We can't just barge through there like a blind whale an' expect t' make it out in one piece!"

"Then what do you suggest?" Captain Kirkland asked in exasperation. They had found the Bloody Rose docked in some obscure town to the west of Gaal and had been watching it for hours. Arthur was starting to get impatient and a little antsy.

"We should do exactly what them rascals did t' us. Sneak in when it's dark an' git the gurl back without them evah knowin' we were there," Christov answered with a nod. "It's the only logical way, Cap'n."

Arthur looked to the three other men standing around his quarters. "Do you agree three agree?"

"It's always bettah t' make it out wit' yer skin still on," replied a man named Cutter.

The Captain sighed. "I suppose you're right. Christov and Lanham," he said as he looked at each man. "You two will be accompanying me aboard the Bloody Rose."

"Are ya sure, Cap'n?" Christov asked. "Shouldn't one of us stay behind t' watch the ship?"

"I need the best men on this mission. There's a lot of gold riding on this, and unless you don't want to get paid, we can't afford to fail."

The first mate nodded. "Yes, sah."

"Good. Now-"

"Can I come too, Uncle Arthur?" Peter came bursting through the door and ran up to the Captain's desk. "Please, Uncle! You have to let me help save (y/n)!"

"Peter, you know I-" Arthur stopped short. "(Y/n)?"

"That's her name," the boy told him.

"She told you her name?"

"Uh huh. She told me lots of things. That's why you have to let me come!"

Arthur struggled over the idea for quite some time. He didn't want to put the boy in danger, but he could be useful in making the mermaid cooperate if necessary. That meant Peter had to come whether the Captain liked it or not.

"Fine, you can come, but only if you promise to do everything that I, or Christov, or Lanham tells you, okay?"

"Alright!" The boy hopped around excitedly, and Arthur couldn't help but smile a little too.

It took a half hour for the four of them to get into a tiny rowboat and row to the Bloody Rose. Peter was so excited that he had almost tipped the boat over on a number of occasions. He didn't calm down until Arthur had threatened to leave him in the water and not come back. The boy sat and looked at the leather handle of his dagger after that.

Captain Kirkland also looked at the handle of his trusty cutlass. He had another dagger hidden in his boot, a revolver under his jacket, a throwing knife up both sleeves, a second revolver around his waist, and a poisoned needle hidden in one of his rings. He had gotten that on a trip to the east.

"Would ya like t' go up first, Cap'n?" Christov asked as he secured a rope attached to the railing of the large ship.

"Might as well."

Arthur grabbed hold of the rope and began to climb. It was pretty easy since there were plenty of footholds once he reached the upper half of the ship. Peter watched him climb nervously, but resolved to be brave. He grabbed the rope next, and was followed closely by Christov. Lanham brought up the rear after tying the rope to the rowboat.

The four of them quietly snuck around some crates as soon as they were all on deck. The Captain silently signaled for them to move toward the back of the ship to find a different way below deck. There were several of Captain Bonnefoy's men sitting around the stairs they were originally going to use.

Christov lead the way this time with Arthur bringing the rear. His usually loud boots didn't make a sound as the four reached another set of stairs. They crept below deck as quickly and quietly as they could, and Lanham blew out a lamp hanging on the wall. It was hard for them to see in the dark, but it was also hard for them to be seen in the dark, and that was what he was counting on.

The continued to wander around for quite some time. None of them really knew where they were going, and the Captain was beginning to grow frustrated. That's when he felt something odd.

"Wait," he whispered to the others. They stopped and watched as he peeked around a dark corner. "I think we should go this way."

"Wot makes ya so sure, Cap'n?"

"I don't know. Just a hunch. Now are you going to follow me or keep asking questions, Lanham?"

"Sorry, sah. Lead de way."

They barely took two steps down the hall when they heard voices from behind them. Captain Kirkland motioned for them to stop and stay quiet.

"What the Cap'n doin' stoppin' at a place like this?"

"Dunno. They say he's sweet on some gurl 'ere. Prob'ly wanna tell 'er all 'bout that mermaid we got."

"Ya seen 'er?"

"Naw, but Temis said 'e saw 'er."

"Yewd 'ave t' be the dumbest dumbo 'round t' believe a word Temis says. Ain't got one truthful bone in 'is whole body that one. 'Sides, why would the Cap'n let an idiot like Temis see the mermaid?"

"Suppose yer right..."

"O' course ahm right! Ahm always right! Ye don' go forgettin' that now..."

The voices faded away as the two men walked away completely unaware of the four from the Queen Lady that lurked in the dark. A shaky sigh escaped from Peter's lips, and he followed the others down the hall.

"It sounds like they have (y/n) here."

"Don't make so much...noise." Arthur whirled around to look at the boy. He had gotten another strange feeling when the boy said the mermaid's name. "Say it again."

"W-what?"

"Say her name again."

"(Y/n)?"

Again. Again he got that strange feeling, like he was excited to hear the name. "Keep calling for her Peter, but no too loudly."

"(Y/n)? (Y/n)? Where are you, (y/n)?" Peter whispered into the dark.

The sensation was growing stronger, and the Captain started to move faster. He hurried the men along as the feeling in his chest grew.

"What's goin' on, Cap'n?"

"I'm not sure, Christov, but I've got the darnedest hunch that we're getting close."

Arthur led them around corners and through twisting corridors. He was secretly glad the halls in the Queen Lady weren't this convoluted, but pushed the thought aside to concentration on the task at hand. Peter continued to call for the mermaid in a hushed voice as the group moved along.

Finally, the Captain stopped at a door. He was certain this was the one. Unfortunately, it was locked, and he couldn't get it open no matter how much he twisted the knob.

"If ya don' mind, Cap'n," Lanham said as he placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder. He held up a set of picks.

"Go right ahead, but be quick."

The pirate instantly went to work tinkering around inside the lock. He had the door open in a matter of thirty seconds. Captain Kirkland was the first to step in the room, and his expression instantly set into a scowl.

The mermaid was laying on the floor of a tiny little room with her hands bound. Her wrists were swollen and bleeding from struggling against the ropes holding them, and her tail looked unnaturally dry. The Captain swore under his breath. She wouldn't bring in as much gold in this condition.

"(Y/n)!" Peter knelt on the floor beside her and tentatively touched her shoulder. "(Y/n)! (Y/n), wake up!"

The mermaid's eyes fluttered open at once, although they took a while to focus on the boy. "Were you the one calling me, little one? I heard you saying my name for such a long time that I thought maybe I was imagining it."

She heard him? Arthur found that hard to believe since he could barely hear Peter when they were walking through the halls. He knelt down and picked the mermaid up in his arms and was surprised at how frail she felt.

"What happened to you?"

"I've been out of the water for too long," she replied weakly.

"Francis is a bloody idiot," the Captain murmured darkly.

"Takes one...to know one..."

Arthur was about to strike back when he saw her close her eyes. Icy cold fear clawed at his chest, but he didn't know why. She was just cargo, but for whatever reason he couldn't stand the idea of her fading away in his arms.

"C'mon, love. Pull yourself together. We're leaving now." He stepped out of the little room with the mermaid still in his arms and hoped he remembered the way out. "Hey, snap out of it."

The mermaid struggled to open her eyes and look at the Captain. He shook her, but she seemed to be slipping fast.

"Just keep your eyes open, (y/n)." At the sound of her name, her eyes opened wide, and she tightened her grip on his coat sleeve. "Don't do that, love. You're getting blood on the coat." Sure, it was silver instead of red, but he was sure it would stain anyway.

"All...you pirates...seem to care about...is clothes."

"A man's appearance is everything." The Captain hurried down the hallways as fast as he could without being too loud.

"What about...what's in here?" The mermaid moves her hands to point at his chest.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Your heart..." she breathed as her eyes slipped shut once more.

"Hey, you have to stay awake. (Y/n)? Wake up!"

Her eyes slid open again, and she focused on his face as he focused on finding the exit. He was very aware of her eyes roaming around his face, and also when they began to droop shut.

"No sleeping!" he said urgently. "You need to stay awake! (Y/n)!"

"Mhmmm? Sorry..."

Just then, the four of them stumbled upon the stairs and climbed them two at a time. A breath of fresh air sounded so good to Arthur that he didn't hear the click until it was too late. Captain Bonnefoy and a large part of his crew stood next to the stairs waiting for them to emerge. He had the barrel of his revolver pointed right at Arthur's forehead.

"Bonjour, my friends. I believe she belongs to me, non?"


	5. Chapter 5

I heard Arthur mutter some pretty colorful things under his breath. He glanced down at me for a brief moment before going back to glaring at Francis with extreme dislike. I felt my mind beginning to cloud over again with fatigue as my limbs grew weak. It was too long since the last time I had been in sea water.

"Hand her over, Arthur, unless you want a very ugly hole in your head."

"Eat scum, frog," I vaguely heard Arthur growl. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy, and I didn't fight the urge to close them.

* * *

"That's not the answer I was hoping for," Francis practically sang. His finger tightened on the trigger, and Captain Kirkland sprang into action at the same time.

He ducked with the mermaid tightly grasped in his arms and kicked one leg out right at Francis' chest. A loud bang filled the air just as his heavy boot connected with the flamboyant captain's chest. Francis stumbled back winded, but his crew quickly surged forward to try to get their hands on Arthur, who had ducked back down the stairs as soon as he could.

"Run!" he shouted at his three other companions.

They all turned to flee at the same time some of Captain Bonnefoy's men squeezed their way down the stairs. Luckily, they were in such a hurry that they were tripping over each other, which gave Arthur and his group a nice head start. On the other hand, the Captain really had no idea where he was going.

"What happened up there, Cap'n?" Christov asked between breaths.

"Ambush. Somehow they knew we'd be there."

"'Ow we gonna git outta 'ere?" Lanham called up from the back.

"That's a fine question," Captain Kirkland shouted back.

The group rounded the corner and was met by a small group of three. Each group was so surprised to see the other that they didn't react. Arthur was the first to come to his senses and kicked one of the men in the groin. He fell to the ground, and the others snapped out of their stupor.

"Out o' the way, ya stupid fleabags!" Christov shouted as he punched one pirate in the face. Lanham took the last one out with a slice from his long dagger.

"Let's go!" Arthur shouted as soon as the way was clear. There was no telling who else they would run into, but their situation would be much worse very soon if they didn't keep moving.

They ran down some more dim corridors without finding anyone else or the exit. Arthur felt like a rat stuck in a maze. There had to be a way out, he just couldn't find it. He shifted his hold on the mermaid as he continued to run. Even though she seemed so frail, his arms were still beginning to burn from the strain of carrying her for so long. He noticed her eyes were closed again, and his heart seemed to stop.

"(Y/n), love, you have to keep your eyes open. (Y/n)!"

* * *

I heard it again. That voice was calling me. I reached for it with my consciousness. It pulled me into wakefulness and filled me with warmth. Names are such wonderful things. So full of power and life, yet very dangerous.

These thoughts swam around my mind as I pulled my eyes open. Arthur was looking down at me with green eyes that seemed to be filled with worry. That was odd since I'm just cargo to him. There was a twinge in my chest as I realized I didn't like that expression on his face.

"Don't...scowl like that," I murmured. "It doesn't...suit you."

He released a breath he probably didn't realize he was holding. I also became aware of the fact that we were moving at about the same time.

"Don't fade on me, (y/n)," he said. "I need you awake."

I felt myself growing the faintest bit stronger. "Why?"

"I just do!"

His answer didn't make much sense, but I never got the chance to question it. Two men appeared in front of us with blades drawn. Arthur slowed to a stop and tensed. His hands were full from carrying me, and the hall was too narrow to allow anyone else to pass.

"Put your arms around my neck."

"Huh?" I looked at him in confusion.

"Just do it!"

I did as I was asked and hung on tight, not that I had a choice with my hands tied. Arthur reached into his coat with his now free hand and pulled out a revolver. Without hesitating, he shot the first man in the chest, and the second in the shoulder as soon as the first fell to the floor.

He didn't put the weapon away as he jumped over the men and began running once more. I didn't have any idea where we were going, and I didn't think he did either. It wasn't a comforting thought. My head began to spin as fatigue hit me like an angry ocean current. I didn't have time to say anything before my mind drifted off into a void.

* * *

Arthur was trying really hard not to let on how panicked he was. They were in a really bad spot. The chances of getting caught before they found another way out was more likely than shooting a fish in a barrel full of them. He just kept running and hoping for some kind of miracle.

It came a lot sooner than expected. The next corner he went around revealed a very solid looking iron door at the end of the hall. He knew what that was. The Queen Lady had a door just like that leading to the gun deck where the cannons were kept. The Captain ran for the door as fast as he could. He had an idea, a crazy one, but it was their only option.

The door opened with a loud squeak and the four ran inside. Arthur placed the mermaid on the floor propped up against some crates. Her eyes were closed again, and her breathing was shallow. It concerned him, but he didn't have time to worry about it now.

"Peter, keep a close eye on her."

"Okay, Uncle."

"If anything happens, let me know."

"O-okay." The boy nodded once and put on a brave face. Arthur knew he was scared, but was proud to see how well he kept it under control.

"Lanham, you watch the door. Barricade it and don't let anyone in."

"Aye aye, Cap'n." The man began dragging heavy barrels and crates in front of the door.

"Christov, you're with me."

"What are ya plannin', Cap'n?" the first mate asked as he followed the Captain toward the cannons.

Arthur grinned wickedly. "If we can't find the exit, we'll make one."

Understanding dawned on the larger man's face, and he grinned just as shrewdly. "Don't suppose Cap'n Bonnefoy'd appreciate that much."

"No, I don't suppose he will, Christov."

* * *

I heard the voice before I felt someone pulling at my swollen hands. This voice was different from the last one, but it pulled me out of the darkness just as urgently. I recognized the voice as Peter's before I even opened my eyes. The tugging on my hands irritated the already chaffed skin, and I winced as a hiss tore through my lips.

"Sorry (y/n)," Peter said. "I'm just trying to cut this rope off."

"I understand, little one," I replied through pursed lips as I cracked my eyelids open.

The boy was trying to saw through the rope with his little knife, which was difficult to do because of how swollen my wrists were. I winced again as he jostled my hands a little too roughly. He apologized once more, but continued with his task. It wasn't long before my hands were free and the blood stained rope discarded.

"I'm sorry I wasn't more careful. I'm just a little nervous right now."

"What's going on?" I asked curiously. I was already aware of the fact that I wasn't in Arthur's arms anymore.

"We're on the gun deck. I don't know what Uncle is planning, but I was told to watch you."

"Well, I'm in good hands then," I said with a reassuring smile.

Peter smiled back nervously. "I don't know about that. I haven't been very useful except for cutting off that rope just now."

"And I appreciate that...very much." I could already feel my strength starting to wane.

"Was it scary?"

"What...?" I asked groggily.

"Being captured. I always thought it would be kinda scary...not that I'd be scared or anything."

I smiled weakly at his show of bravery. It couldn't be easy growing up surrounded by pirates. There must be a lot he had to live up to. "It was...a little scary...yes...but I kept hoping...you would come..."

"(Y/n)? Are you okay? Should I get Uncle Arthur?"

"No, no I'm fine," I told him as my head cleared. I blinked a few times and focused on Peter's face. "Although seawater would be lovely right about now."

The boy made a face. "Like to drink?"

"No, silly child." I laughed softly. "Just to wet my skin."

"I'll see what I can do."

He disappeared for a while behind some barrels, and I waited patiently as my strength faded. I'd be able to stay awake longer if I wasn't so dried up. I guessed this is what a beached whale must feel like. They talked about it sometimes, and I always got the impression that it was like they were telling a horror story. I finally understood why.

"I think this might work." Peter returned carrying a bucket and some rope.

"Perfect," I murmured.

He looked around and picked an opening for a cannon to fire out of. The large black cannon was still in the way, so he pushed it as hard as he could. It barely moved. Peter braced himself against the side of the ship and pushed with his legs. This time the cannon started rolling away on its wheels and didn't stop until it crashed into another cannon on the other side.

"Oops..."

"What's going on over there, Peter?" I heard Arthur yell, although I couldn't see him from where I was.

"Nothing!" the boy shouted back.

He quickly tied the rope to the bucked and dropped it through the opening. There was a faint splash as the wooden bucket hit the water, and Peter reeled it back inside. I could smell the salty tang of the water even before he approached me with the bucket. If I weren't so weak, I would've grabbed the bucket out of his hands and dumped it on me myself.

"How am I supposed to do this?"

"Just pour it over me," I told him.

Peter hesitated for a moment, but did as I said. The instant the water touched my skin I felt a hundred times better. I took in a deep breath for the first time in a while and licked my lips. Nothing like seawater to refresh a dried up mermaid. I almost asked Peter to go get another bucketful when a loud bang echoed around the gun deck. The man who was standing at the door looked down at his chest in surprise. A deadly red flower was blooming on his chest and getting bigger at an alarming rate. His brown eyes met mine for brief moment before they rolled back into his skull, and he fell to the floor with a sickening thud.

* * *

A bang surprised Arthur so much that he almost dropped the cannon he and Christov were carrying. His first thought was to look for Peter and make sure he was okay, but that thought quickly left his mind as he watched Lanham fall to the floor.

"Peter! What's going on?"

"I-I don't know!" The boy's terrified voice came from behind some crates where the Captain knew he had set the mermaid down.

"Whatever you do, don't move!" Arthur gauged the distance the boy was from the door and decided he would be safe as long as he didn't stayed where he was.

The Captain and his first mate set their load down on a pile of other cannons and barrels. Another shot fired through the door and embedded itself in the side of the ship just a hair's breadth from Arthur's ear. A slight breeze from the bullet ruffled the hair on that side of his face.

"Time to get this over with," he said as more bullets came through the door.

Someone was trying to ram the door open, but Lanham had managed to stack quite a bit in front of it before he got shot. His body lay still in a pool of red blood, and Arthur cursed at losing another member of his crew to Francis.

"Shame," Christov muttered as they ducked behind some crates. He shook his head unhappily. "One of our strongest 'e was. Real sly an' quick on 'is feet too. Shame..."

Captain Kirkland didn't have a response. He was going to make Francis pay for everything he had done, starting with his ship.

"Ready?" the Captain asked his first mate.

"As ready as ya are, Cap'n."

Arthur pulled out a little flint fire starter and lit a thin trail of gunpowder that led to the haphazard pile. He pulled his head back behind the crate and stuck his fingers in his ears. There was enough gunpowder stacked in those barrels to blow a nice sized crater into a rock face. He couldn't hear the sizzle of the gunpowder trail, but he knew it would be reaching the pile soon.

The explosion was so loud that Captain Kirkland thought he might have gone deaf. He couldn't hear a sound as he picked himself up off the rubble strewn floor. The blast had knocked both him and Christov onto their stomachs, and he hoped Peter and the mermaid were alright. He probably should have warned them.

Suddenly, the ship lurched to the side, and water began rushing into the gun deck. It soaked Arthur's boots, but that was the least of his worries. His ears had started to ring, and he could barely make out what Christov was yelling.

"We 'ave t' get out before the ship sinks!"

The Captain nodded and looked around for Peter, who was waving him down from his spot near the door. Arthur hurdled over the crates between them to see what was the matter. The boy was frantically shouting and pointing, and Arthur had to lean in close to hear what he was saying.

"I can't carry her! I can't carry her!"

Arthur understood at once. He was surprised to see the mermaid was looking at him with wide, fearful eyes. She didn't look at all like she had before. Neither of them said a word as he picked her up and started running for the gaping hole in the side of the ship. Water continued to flood inside, and the Bloody Rose was slowly tipping to one side.

Christov was standing by the hole trying to push some of the cannons they had stacked out of the way. They had hoped the heavy weapons would contain the blast and keep any debris from flying out, but they now created quite a complication. Peter joined the large man, and together they cleared a narrow path to the water.

"We 'ave t' hurry, Cap'n! They're gettin' through the door!"

Sure enough, some of the men outside the gun room door had already recovered from the explosion and were slowly but surely pushing the door open. Loud swearing and threats to all of their lives were being shouted through the steadily opening doorway, and Arthur didn't want to stick around long enough to find out if they'd be true to their word. He ran toward the jagged hole in the ship and threw the mermaid into the water.

* * *

"I hope you're ready to swim, love!"

That's the last thing I heard before I hit the water. If the bucket of water before was invigorating, this was a thousand times better. I could feel the energy of the sea flowing and ebbing like the tide around me. Bubbles floated like shimmering crystal orbs around me as three more splashes disturbed the water.

I was so tempted to swim off into the deep and never look back, but I didn't. I knew in my heart that I owed it to these people to get back to their ship after they had come to my rescue. They had even sacrificed one of their own for me. I resolved to make sure they were safe, but then I would get away before they knew what was happening.

With strong strokes of my fin, I swam to the surface and did a head count. Only two. My heart clenched at the thought that Peter was missing, but his blue eyes were watching me alongside Arthur's green ones. It was Christov who was missing. I dived back under the water to look for the large man.

He was struggling to pull himself up to the surface. His weight must have been what was keeping him down since muscle doesn't float. I would've laughed if I hadn't seen his determined yet panicked expression. It was easy for me to forget that he couldn't breath underwater like me, and that this was a life or death situation for him. I quickly swam to his side and grabbed his shirt collar to drag him up to the surface.

Our heads broke the water at the same time, and he gasped for air like he'd never breathe again, which he might not have if he stayed down there much longer. He nodded his thanks, and the four of us began to swim away from the sinking ship. The explosion had blasted through the red letters on the side of the pirate ship, which now read 'Blo ose'. Yeah, that ship blowed alright.

There was a lot of shouting and frantic running around going on the Blo Ose's deck, and I thought I saw Francis waving his arms around. He looked just like an inflated blowfish. I laughed darkly as I pulled Christov along beside me. I didn't trust him to swim on his own. It would be just my luck that he'd sink and I'd have to rescue him again.

We swam toward a little rowboat that was somehow intact and still attached to the sinking ship. I assumed that was how they had snuck aboard without being noticed. Arthur reached the boat first and heaved himself inside, which was quite a feat since all of his clothes were soaking wet and probably weighed a ton. He had managed to lose his hat from either the explosion or the swim, and I saw how unruly his blonde hair was for the first time. I kind of liked the way it looked.

Peter pulled himself aboard next with some help from Arthur, and then the two of them had to help Christov get inside. He looked just about done in and wasn't afraid to say so.

"With all due respect, Cap'n, but let's never do that again."

"Agreed," Arthur said with a tired laugh. "Although the boys are going to go bloody wild when we tell them what happened."

"Can I tell them?" Peter asked excitedly. He somehow still had energy after everything he's been through. "Please, Uncle! It'll be brilliant!"

"I'm sure it will be."

I was hoping they would just forget about me and row away, but of course that was too good to be true. Arthur grabbed my wrist before I could get away, and I winced. Even though the water had revitalized me, my wrists were still pretty raw from the rope. He pulled me closer to the rowboat.

"Where do you think you're going, love?"

"Nowhere," I muttered as I tried to tug my hand free. I knew it was futile, but it was worth a try.

The concerned look Arthur wore while he carried me in the ship was nowhere to be seen now. All I saw was a calculating pirate who didn't want his merchandise swimming away before he made a profit. I sighed and turned away from him. No matter how I looked at it, I was trapped, again.

"Get in the boat, (y/n)."

That's when I felt it. A strong compulsion to get in the boat. I wondered if maybe he had figured it out, but concluded that it was more likely that he said it by chance. As much as I didn't want to, I pulled myself into the rowboat. There was a look of surprise on Arthur's face, which only confirmed my suspicions. He had no idea what kind of power he held in his hands.

I refused to look at any of them as our little boat bobbed on the waves. Quiet shouts could still be heard coming from the Blo Ose as it sank further and further in the water. Most of the men had already abandoned ship, but I could see the colorful outline of Francis still flapping his arms like a maniac. It made me feel the teeniest bit better.

"Row us back to the ship, Christov," I heard Arthur say.

The rowboat lurched in the water as the large man began to work the paddles. My hope faded as the sinking ship grew smaller and smaller in the distance. I resigned myself to my fate. At least I still had one more ace hidden away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's been some concern that Francis did something ungentlemanly to poor mermaid-chan while she was on his ship, but I'd like to clarify nothing happened. I know he tends to come off as a creep, but I didn't want him to be that way here. He just wanted her like a possession or a symbol of power and wealth. She's rare, and that's all he wanted. Another jewel in his collection. Please rest easy knowing he didn't do anything perverted :)

 Arthur watched as four of his crew carried a strange apparatus down a wide plank and onto the dock. A mild and pleasant wind tugged at the large feather on the Captain's new hat. He had bought it as soon as they landed in Gaal, even though he was not exactly fond of that particular article of clothing. It was just necessary to look the part.

"Easy does it, boys. We wouldn't want the cargo to get damaged."

The four men looked at each other uncomfortably. They were well aware of what was in the apparatus, but they didn't think of it as cargo. It was known by the entire crew that the mermaid had saved Christov's life, and it seemed wrong to still think of her as cargo. None of the men dared to speak against their captain though.

The Queen Lady creaked next to the dock as the apparatus was lowered onto the deck so the men could rest. The thing was a large rectangular crate that was held up by two poles. It reminded Arthur of a casket, but he tried not to think about it like that. He just wanted to make the sale and leave. There was no room for regret in this transaction.

He had already made contact with his potential buyer, who was more than willing to accept any price Captain Kirkland asked if he was telling the truth. Arthur didn't feel an ounce of remorse when he asked for one thousand gold pieces since it was his job as a pirate to extort money from people, although he thought it was a fair price after everything he had gone through to get the mermaid here in one piece. It still made his large eyebrows twitch in irritation when he thought about what went down on the Bloody Rose. Francis had that coming for a long time.

"Let's keep moving. I want to collect our gold and leave as soon as possible," the Captain said.

The four men groaned as the lifted the heavy crate between the poles. It wouldn't weigh so much if it weren't half full of sea water, which sloshed around inside with every step the pirates took. The docks echoed with the sound of heavy footsteps as the group moved toward shore. Unlike most pirates, being on land didn't faze Arthur, but he felt plenty uneasy now. Something seemed off, and he just wanted to leave with his hard earned gold as quickly as he could.

A quieter, more frantic thumping sound came from the crate. Captain Kirkland was wondering when she'd start fighting, but he paid it no mind. It was too late. He was already committed. Not to mention it had taken him hours after the rescue to convince himself he didn't care about the mermaid at all. She was just another business venture, nothing more.

The thumping became increasingly panicked as they got closer to shore. It was starting to drive Arthur insane, and he turned around to face the crate as soon as he stepped off the dock and onto a hard packed dirt road. The four men were a little behind due to their heavy load, and the Captain watched with crossed arms as they joined him on the dry land.

"Can't you make her stop that-"

He never got to finish. Some kind of energy shot out from the crate and knocked everyone to the ground. The crate crashed on the road and broke in several places. Arthur was overcome by the strange scent of something he couldn't quite put his finger on as water leaked from the broken apparatus. It reminded him of gentle sea breezes mingled with the faint smell of ozone, which made him think of the thunderstorms that rage over the ocean in the summer months. He couldn't tell where the smell was coming from, but it faded much too quickly for his liking.

"Wot the bloody-"

"Cap'n, what was that?"

"Me poor 'ead..."

The Captain's men were beginning to shake off their shock. They slowly got to their feet, and one of them helped Arthur up too. Only a trickle of water was leaking out of the broken crate now and it pooled in a shimmering puddle. Nothing else moved, and no one seemed to be eager to get closer.

"What do we do, Cap'n?"

"We check the cargo," Arthur answered. He made sure to keep his tone even and authoritative despite the emotions churning inside of him.

The Captain took a step forward, and then another. A growing sense of dread made his feet feel like they were encased in lead, but he forced himself forward. The top of the crate had come loose, so he tried pry it away. It didn't want to come loose at first, but after a few more tugs it broke away from the rest of the apparatus.

Arthur's heart stopped.

What he saw was so horrible that it felt like his heart literally paused mid beat. The Captain clutched the front of his jacket as panic welled up inside of him. It really did feel like his heart stopped, and what he saw in the crate didn't help either.

A very shallow amount of water was still in the crate with the mermaid sitting inside. She looked worse than Arthur felt. Her eyes were impossibly wide and emotionless, like she couldn't believe what she saw. The Captain could hardly believe it himself. He didn't know what the energy or smell was, but one thing was for sure. Arthur wasn't going to get paid anytime soon.

No one would believe the girl sitting in the crate was a mermaid.

* * *

I huddled in a corner hugging my knees to my chest. That was something I had never done before in my life. Another sob shook my shoulders as tears slid down my face. I knew since the moment I was caught that my life as it used to be was over, but I didn't think I'd have everything taken from me.

Something awful was going to happen, and I felt it. I pounded on the sides of the crate, but no one listened. The instant I crossed onto land something had happened. It was so fast that I couldn't even think about what was going on. I just felt. There was power, so much power that I surprised myself. I've never handled that much before. Then there was a crunch after I fell, and light streamed in through the cracks that appeared in the crate. That's when I saw.

I shook the thoughts from my head. The more I lingered on it, the worse I felt. I absentmindedly scratched my right leg as I tried to think about something else. My hand froze. That's right, I had legs now. Sorrow and anxiety made my chest tighten. My beautiful fin was gone, and all that was left were these gangly human limbs, which were covered in some kind of material the pirates called trousers.

Arthur had covered me with his coat and carried me back onto the ship. He took me into a room full of elegant furniture with maps on the walls and clothes strewn everywhere. I was still in shock when he carefully set me on a soft bed. He dug around in the mess of clothing and handed me some items without looking. It didn't occur to me until later why he was blushing like crazy, but I was too upset to care. I couldn't bring myself to feel awkward about my nakedness when I had lost something so precious to me.

I found myself scratching my leg again and forced myself to stop. Maybe if I convinced myself it was a nightmare, I would wake up, and everything would be fine. Of course that wasn't the case, so I sat in a ragged heap and continued to sob.

* * *

Captain Kirkland paced on the deck like a madman with the crew watching anxiously. Even the four men that went with him had no idea what had happened. Arthur had rushed off with the mermaid and had yet to say a word about it to anyone. He didn't even notice the others moving around him to keep the ship on course. All he could think about was the mermaid that wasn't.

He didn't understand what had happened to her, but he knew that the weird energy and the disappearance of her fin were connected. Unfortunately, he didn't know how. Luckily, he knew someone who might. He had given the order to sail north as soon as he stepped onto the deck of the Queen Lady, and then stepped into his private quarters.

The mermaid hadn't said a word the entire time. She just stared with blank eyes as he set her on his bed and shoved a shirt and pants into her hands. Arthur had tried to look as little as possible. He may have been a pirate, but that didn't mean he wasn't a gentleman. The Captain did his best to not ogle the poor girl. He couldn't stop the blush that crept onto his face, however.

Arthur left as soon as he could and closed the door. As an extra precaution, he locked the door from the outside with an old skeleton key, which he slipped back into his breast pocket when he was done. He had been pacing on deck ever since. The whole situation was so strange that he couldn't even bring himself to be upset about not getting paid, but he was determined to get his gold one way or the other. He was sure of that.

The jagged coast of the Northern Continent glided past as Arthur's ship sailed smoothly on the Sea of Norden. A small cove came into view with a sandy beach and thick forests behind that. Captain Kirkland paused his pacing to stare into the depths of the trees as the Queen Lady turned to enter the secluded cove. If anyone could help the mermaid, it was Ojigwa.


	7. Chapter 7

It took Arthur a long time to convince the mermaid to leave his room. She ignored him for the longest time, and then swatted his hand away when he tried to pull her up off the floor. For whatever reason, she had decided to curl up in a corner between his bed and a wardrobe and refused to move no matter what the Captain said. He was beginning to lose his patience, and for a brief moment considered threatening her.

He sighed. Captain Kirkland was a gentleman at heart, and gentlemen certainly don't threaten women no matter how unreasonable they are. He tried to reason with her some more, but to no avail. She wouldn't even look at him as if it were Arthur's fault this happened, which in a way it was. He finally gave up and plopped on the floor beside the unresponsive girl.

"Look, you want to go back to normal, don't you?"

She stiffened at that. Her eyes darted toward him and back as she pulled her knees closer to herself, but still not a word.

"I know you want to fix this, and so do I," Arthur said. "But I'm going to need you to get up first."

"You just want to sell me."

The Captain was so surprised that he almost didn't catch what she said. "It's my job."

"Leave me alone."

"I can't do that." Arthur set his face into a stony expression. "We've already sacrificed a lot to get you here. I'm not stopping until this is over."

The mermaid flinched. Arthur couldn't say for sure, but she was probably remembering Lanham dropping to the floor dead with a bullet lodged in his chest. He thought about that too, and Jamison who had been killed the night she was stolen. Two men in exchange for what? A girl that didn't look like a mermaid who wouldn't leave his room.

"Fine, stay here if you want, love. I just hope your conscience can handle knowing you've gotten two men killed." The Captain stood up to leave.

"Two?" Her eyes were filled with pain, and Arthur almost felt guilty. Almost.

"That's right. Lanham died trying to rescue you, and Jamison was killed by the men who kidnapped you. That's a lot of blood on your account."

She wrestled with that information. Arthur could see her working the issue over in her mind. It was almost cute how her brows came together in concentration, and how she bit down on her bottom lip. The Captain quickly dismissed those thoughts. He couldn't find her attractive. That wasn't part of the job description. He just needed to get her back to normal so he could ship her to Gaal and be rid of her once and for all.

"Okay," she said startling him out of his thoughts. "What do I have to do?"

"Simple." Arthur smiled. "We just need to visit an old acquaintance of mine."

* * *

I wasn't prepared for how bright the sun was when I stepped out onto deck. The room I was in wasn't as bright, and the sudden sounds on deck didn't help my disorientation either. My legs felt weak and awkward, but I forced them to move so I could follow Arthur as he walked toward a group of men. I didn't like the way they stared at me, like I was something to eat. I'd seen that look plenty of times before, but usually on sharks.

Everything seemed to come to a standstill as I followed Arthur, which made me more nervous than I was. Everyone stopped to watch the two of us, and I wanted to cling to Arthur for protection from their preying eyes, but I couldn't give him that kind of satisfaction. I got the impression that he thought I was completely under his control. If only he knew.

He said a few words to the group of men, who were paying more attention to me than their captain. He didn't seem to like that. A loudly barked order later, the crew aboard the ship was going about their business as usual, and Arthur and I were getting ready to leave on the same small rowboat we had used to escape the Bloody Rose. It seemed kind of strange that no one else came with us, but I preferred it that way. If things got bad and I had to act, I'd rather not anyone else be there.

The rowboat was lowered into the water, and Arthur began to paddle toward a white beach. I could tell we were in a small cove somewhere in the Sea of Norden by the smell of the water, but I had never actually been here before. My kind didn't usually come so far north, not to say that it never happened. I trailed my fingers in the cool water as the ship, which I now realized was called the Queen Lady, grew smaller and smaller behind us.

"Don't get any funny ideas," Arthur warned.

"I wouldn't think of it," I replied tensely. I already agreed to do this, didn't I? It frustrated me that he still thought I would try to escape. I could barely walk on these new legs, so I wasn't sure how he thought I could swim with them.

The bottom of the boat scraped against sand as Arthur rowed onto shore. He hopped out first and pulled the small craft up onto the beach to keep it from drifting away. I was surprised to see him offer me a hand out, but took it anyway. Might as well keep things civil while tensions were low. I didn't have anything on my feet, and yelped as soon as they touched the warm sand.

"What are you-?" Arthur swore when he noticed my bare feet. "Did you step on something sharp? I should have gotten you some shoes, how careless of me."

"I'm okay," I said quickly. "I've just...never walked on sand before. It's warm."

He started to give me a funny look until he remembered my predicament. It probably wasn't every day that he walks with someone that's never had feet before. "Well, just try to be careful."

With that he turned and began to walk toward the dark forest that was beyond the beach. I followed closely behind him while enjoying the feeling of sand between my toes. It was a brand new sensation, and even though I missed my fin, I kind of enjoyed it. Walking gave me a kind of thrill, but I could feel my new legs tiring fast. No wonder humans ride instead of walk whenever they can.

The forest loomed just in front of the two of us when Arthur stopped. He looked up at the towering trees before turning toward me. "Follow me and try not to get lost. Or touch anything. Definitely don't touch anything."

He plunged into the foliage before I could answer, so I quickly followed him. His warning hadn't quite scared me, but it did make me wonder what could be in this forest that was so dangerous. My curiosity continued to grow as we walked further and further into the forest's dark depths. It was starting to look more like a jungle, which was odd since the climate wasn't warm enough for jungles to grow this far north. I could feel it becoming more humid too, and I really wanted to know exactly what this place was.

The chance to ask never came because we had reached our destination. A large hut had been built in a gigantic tropical tree with vines and moss growing all around it. It actually looked more like someone had built it but decided it was too small. Other huts and walkways had been built around the largest one, which made the additional huts seem more like an afterthought than part of the actual structure. A staircase spiraled down around the sides of the tree and connected the whole ensemble of buildings to the ground. Arthur started to walk toward the stairs without hesitating.

"Are you sure we can just walk in?" I asked nervously.

He shot me a look which gave me the impression that he thought the question was extremely stupid. The pirate just kept going up the stairs, and I followed him as fast as I could. Something about this weird jungle made me not want to be on the ground by myself if I could help it. It was probably the eerie silence. I had never been in a forest before, but I always imagined it would be noisier with all the things living here. Unless nothing lives here. The thought sent a chill down my spine.

A bright red curtain was hung in the doorway of the biggest hut, which was right next to the stairs, and Arthur pushed it aside as he went in. I slipped in behind him and took a good look around. The place was decorated with all sorts of weird looking things like wooden statues, painted war masks, and glass containers, along with plain wooden furniture. There were selves just filled with different sized glass jars with strange looking things in them. One even appeared to be full of eyes, so I looked away before I could feel sick.

Arthur stood with his back toward me and stared into a small fire crackling in an open pit. That seemed rather dangerous since the whole place was made of wood, including the jungle outside, but that didn't seem to bother him. He just stared and stared as if the fire could tell him how to fix me. If only it could. I did want to go back to normal, but I didn't want what came with it. Being treated like a piece of merchandise was not something I particularly enjoyed.

With a sigh, I turned to look at some random items sitting on what looked like a countertop. There were things that looked like charms carved out of wood, and a few colored glass baubles that twisted into random, aesthetic shapes. The thing that caught my eye was a charm made out of silver and shaped like a fish. A really big fish. I reached out and picked the thing up without thinking. It was cold and smooth against my fingers.

"Your girl has good taste, Arthur." An old woman seemed to appear out of nowhere and grabbed my wrist.

She was very pale and very wrinkled, but her eyes sparkled with the same kind of youthful energy I saw in Peter's. Her hair was white and twisted up into a big not on top of her head with stray bits falling out here and there. She even had strange sticks with charms dangling from them poking out of the white mass, and they swung with every twitch of her head. The old woman was short and hunched, and she did a sort of waddle as released my wrist and walked away from me.

"I-I wasn't going to take it," I stammered out.

She cackled in amusement. "Oh, I know that, dear. It's not in the nature of your kind to steal, which is more than can be said about that scoundrel over there." She glared at Arthur with mischievous gray eyes.

"Hello, Ojigwa," he said. He didn't seem at all surprised by her sudden appearance.

"Don't hello me, boy!" She hopped off the countertop and hobbled toward the pirate. "Where's all that lilyweed you promised me?"

Now Arthur looked uncomfortable. "Er...we tried to get it, but it all burned up by the time we got back..."

"Bah!" Ojigwa spat with a wave of her hand. "Pirates. You can't count on them for anything!" She waddled back toward me and leapt up onto the counter. "I see he's let you down as well."

"W-what?" I looked back and forth between her and Arthur nervously.

"Don't pretend like you don't know. I can tell by just looking at ya that you're a mermaid. The ocean clings to you like stink to a pile of dung."

I didn't know whether I should be amazed of offended. "You can tell all of that by looking?"

"I can tell a lot more than that, girlie," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. "For instance, I know that you're about one hundred and fourteen, and that you're going to die."

My mouth dropped open, and Arthur looked like he swallowed something terribly bitter. Ojigwa just looked around the counter and muttered something about tarot cards. She didn't seem concerned at all about what she had said.

"What kind of tricks are you up to?" Arthur asked with narrowed eyes. He seemed very friendly with the old woman, but also cautious, as if she's fooled him on some previous occasion.

"No tricks. Hee hee hee. No tricks. Where have those cards gone...?" She hopped below the counter and continued to mumble for a while. "Ninya! Ninya! Where have my tarot cards gone?"

A young girl came running into the hut from a different entrance than Arthur and I used and skidded to a halt next to the counter. Her feet made no sound as she walked, which reminded me of the silence in the jungle outside. She leaned over the counter with concern evident in her dark brown eyes.

"They should be next to the dragonfly wings, Ojigwa."

"Eh? Oh yes, here they are." The old woman appeared on the counter once more with a dusty velvet bag clutched in her withered hands. "Hee hee hee. It's been a long time since we've used these, hasn't it child?"

"Yes, Ojigwa."

"Since when have you had an assistant, old bat?" Arthur asked. "One from the Southern Continent nonetheless."

"How can you tell that?" I questioned.

"Her skin," he answered simply. "Only the people of the Southern Continent have dark skin colored like coffee. How did she get here?"

"Oh, she's been here for years," Ojigwa told us. "Some foolish men from the Eastern Continent stopped by one day and traded her for my services. Hee hee hee. They won't be doing any more trading after what I sent them to do. Hee hee hee. She must have been gone the last time you came. Yes, picking hennah flowers for me. Very good girl Ninya is. Very good."

Ninya curtsied slightly with her dull yellow dress. It stood out against her dark skin like a clownfish against the deep blue ocean. She had soft eyes and thick, curly hair that cascaded down to her waist in black ringlets. I felt a twinge of jealousy. The young girl was stunningly beautiful, and Arthur noticed. He hadn't taken his eyes off her since she walked in, not that that's what made me jealous.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Ojigwa clucking her tongue. She had laid out the cards in an odd pattern on the counter and was hunched over them in concentration. I had no idea what any of the cards meant, but she obviously didn't like what she saw. Arthur stepped closer to get a better look, even though he probably didn't understand it any better than I did.

"Do you see this, Ninya? Bad, bad, bad." The old woman pointed to a group of cards, and the girl leaned in closer.

"Oh dear," she murmured.

"What? What?" I looked at them both with a growing sense of dread.

"Death, sea, man, god..." Ojigwa trailed off. Her eyes got a faraway look. "Your journey will not be easy."

"Journey?" Arthur narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about, old bat?"

The hunched woman clucked her tongue again. "You are a mermid, aren't you dear?" I nodded. "But you've fallen under a curse. Poor thing. Walking on land has severed your connection to the sea. I can see it. It weakens even as we speak. You can feel it, can't you?"

I stiffened as her words confirmed my deepest fear. Ever since I was carried onto shore and I lost my fin, my connection with the sea had been lost. I couldn't feel the tides or the mysterious currents that always swirled in the deep. I couldn't feel the great whales or the playful dolphins swimming in the blue. I couldn't feel anything.

"Yes," I answered softly.

"That is why you will die."

I felt a stabbing pain in my heart, and Arthur also seemed to flinch at the news. His green eyes met mine for an instant before he dropped his gaze to the floor. I didn't know for sure, but something told me he was feeling pretty bad right about now. Then again, I was just cargo to him. It was possible he didn't feel anything at all.

"There has to be a way to fix it," he said. There was emotion in his voice, but I couldn't tell what it was.

"Of course there is, silly boy. Of course," Ojigwa said like it was obvious.

"How?" I asked desperately.

"I don't know that. Your kind does not offer their secrets to just anyone. I can see the future, read minds, and make a jungle grow on the Northern Continent, but I don't know how to patch you up, dear."

My stomach dropped to my feet. The feet I was beginning to hate more than anything. "What do I do?"

"Go home," Ojigwa said as she gathered her cards back up. "Ask your people. You aren't the first, I imagine."

"Okay...but how do I get home?"

"Ask the pirate. He would do just about anything for a pretty girl." The old woman winked at us.

"Forget it," Arthur said with crossed arms. "She's already got me in enough trouble. I'm not going on a bloody wild goose chase now too."

"You don't have much of a choice, Arthur. She owns your heart."

His eyes practically popped out of his head. Then he laughed. Hard. "You've really lost it this time, old bat! Hahaha! I couldn't care less about her. She's just another deal. I'm not sailing around the world to fix this."

"You have to, or you'll die with her."

"I very much doubt that."

"But you told her your name, didn't you foolish boy?"

Arthur's smirk faltered. "And what if I did?"

"Mermaids. Such mysterious creatures. Not much is known about them, but I do know this. They have great power over names, isn't that right dear?" Ojigwa gave me a toothless smile.

"Yes," I whispered.

"Yes what?" Arthur demanded. "What did you do?"

"I...I..."

"She tied the fate of her heart to yours through your name," the wrinkled woman explained. "You know what that means?" She sounded almost happy about it. "If she dies, you die."

"What?" Arthur looked like he wanted to strangle one of us, but couldn't pick who. "Is this true, (y/n)?"

I hesitated, but I couldn't stay silent. "Yes."

"Oh ho ho! This is interesting!" Ojigwa shuffled toward me and looked me straight in the eyes with an amused gleam in her stormy eyes. "A mermaid that has told a human her name. Interesting. Not often that that happens either. Very interesting."

Arthur watched the two of us suspiciously. "What does that mean?"

"Names are power. I will leave it up to the mermaid to explain further." The old woman cackled. "You will have a fun journey indeed."

"Hey, wait a minute." The pirate stepped forward. "I never agreed to anything."

"Please, you have to-"

"I don't have to anything!" Arthur yelled. "I've lost so much bloody gold because of you already! I'm not going to help you. You're on your own!"

He stormed out of the hut. I stood rooted to the spot unable to do anything. My life was completely in Arthur's hands, and he made it fairly clear that he didn't care. Tears started to form in my eyes, but I wiped them away before they fell. Blubbering like a baby wasn't going to get me anywhere.

"I would hurry if I were you," Ojigwa said. "He can be awfully stubborn when he's upset." She laughed. "I've seen it more times than I can keep count. Ever since he was a young boy. Go. You must hurry or he will leave you behind."

"What do I do?"

"He will come around. You'll see. In the mean time, I would get a move on." She shooed me toward the door.

I turned to leave, but remembered the silver fish charm in my hand. "Oh, here."

"Keep it," Ojigwa said with a smile. She closed my hand over the charm and gave it a comforting pat. "It may come in handy."

I forced a smile. "Thank you. Both of you." Ninya smiled softly.

"Go, child. May the gods of fortune steer your ship and fair weather lead your way."

I gave the two of them one more smile and hurried past the red curtain with the silver fish clutched tightly in my hand.


	8. Chapter 8

It was a miracle that I didn't trip down the spiral stairs as I ran out of Ojigwa's tree hut. I still wasn't the most confident on my feet, but I did manage to make it to the ground without taking a spill. Leaves and small ferns were crushed beneath my feet as I came to a stop. I had no idea which direction Arthur went, and there weren't any clear paths to indicate which way the beach was.

"A-Arthur," I called out quietly. There was no response, but I didn't expect there to be.

Waiting around wasn't an option, so I picked a direction at random and began to walk. The jungle around me didn't seem to thin or thicken as I went on my way. I tried not to let the silence faze me, but the only sound was my feet stepping through the brush, and that was starting to become unnerving. Everything looked so similar that I was starting to wonder if I was just going in a circle. That's when an object in my peripheral vision caught my attention.

Something bright and yellow was twitching behind a tree not too far from me, and I took a few tentative steps closer. The thing didn't seem to notice my presence at all, so I slowly continued to approach it. I stepped around the tree and saw something unexpected. It was a plant. Sure, the whole jungle was full of plants, but I had never seen a moving plant before. Sometimes plants sway in the ocean as if they have a mind of their own, but I knew it was actually the sea currents

This plant, on the other hand, seemed to be moving on its own. It was a short tree about the same height as me with wiggling yellow blossoms. The branches would curl and uncurl like the tree was beckoning me while the flowers danced happily. I was completely entranced. There almost seemed to be a hum coming from the plant as it enticed me forward, and I complied. My hand seemed to move on its own as it reached out for a flower. The yellow blossom started to wiggle a little more excitedly than the others. It stretched its petals out toward me to embrace my fingertips, and I smiled blissfully.

Just then, something grabbed my wrist and snapped me out of whatever trance I was in. "I told you not to touch anything."

I gasped and took a step back. Arthur stood next to the tree with a blank expression on his face. His grip on my wrist didn't loosen as I tried to pull away.

"Yeah well, why should I listen to you?" I tugged at my wrist again.

"Because I know your name, (y/n)."

His words made me quit struggling, and my eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

An amused smirk pulled up the corner of Arthur's lips. "Don't act so surprised, love. You can't fool the great pirate captain Arthur Kirkland. I know all about your powers with names."

"H-how?"

He let go of me and shrugged. "I started to piece it together when we rescued you from that ugly frog Francis. You seemed to do whatever I told you to as long as I said your name. Granted, it was just conjecture then. I didn't know for sure until Ojigwa mentioned something about it."

"So you knew she was telling the truth," I said.

"She usually is." He folded his arms like this was just a pleasant talk between friends.

"But you still won't help me." I clenched my fists in frustration. "You know she was telling the truth, and you still won't help me."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "I kept you from being killed by this tree. I'd call that helping."

"The tree?" My anger was pushed aside by curiosity.

"Yes, this tree, which you so willingly blundered into, is one of the most deadly things in this jungle." He unsheathed his curved blade and deftly cut a single blossom from the tree. The whole plant writhed and shrieked as if in pain. "The flowers excrete some kind of numbing agent. If you had touched it, you wouldn't have been able to feel any part of you faster than it takes you to suck in a breath." He bent over to pick up the flower, and then slid his cutlass back in its scabbard. "The branches would have strangled you while you were paralyzed, and your dead body would have dropped to the ground to nourish the roots of the tree."

"What a pleasant thought."

He chuckled softly and smirked. "The only reason that old bat lets these grow here are because the flowers make for an excellent painkiller. Obviously, they don't do anything to you once they've been cut." He approached me with the yellow blossom and tucked it behind my ear. A soft smile replaced his cocky smirk. "There. A pretty flower for a pretty lady."

I didn't know whether to be flattered or upset. A blush rose to my cheeks as I stepped away from the pirate. "Stop playing games with me! I don't have time for someone who won't help me."

"Who said I wouldn't help you?"

"You did! In the tree hut."

"Hmmm, I suppose so." He waved it off. "That old bat always infuriates me with the way she talks, as if she knows everything, which of course she does. I just wanted to disagree with her. Have her be wrong just once." His eyebrows knit together in irritation. "It would seem she's right again, that old bat."

"So...you will help me?" I asked hopefully.

He sighed. "It would be ungentlemanly of me to ignore a lady in need. But if this turns out to be some kind of joke..." He fixed his gaze on me, and I knew what he was about to say would be the undeniable truth. "I will kill you myself."

* * *

She didn't even blink as he said the words, and the Captain was mildly surprised. It would seem she's made of tougher stuff than he gave her credit for. If anything, she looked more determined now than ever, which was something he admired in anyone.

"Shall we get back to the ship now, love?"

She only nodded. Arthur lead the way through the green jungle toward the beach with confidence, and the mermaid followed behind him a little closer than he expected. Maybe he had scared her with his description of the kaleel tree. Whatever the reason was, he didn't particularly dislike it. Having someone of the gentler sex around was a refreshing change after being cooped up on the Queen Lady with a bunch of ruffians for so long.

He was lost in such thoughts when a squeak came from behind and something grabbed him around the waist. "What in the bloody name of-" He turned to see the mermaid bent over clutching at him desperately. "I said I'd help you but I hope I didn't give you the wrong impression..."

"What? Oh! No! I tripped!" Her face turned bright red, and Arthur couldn't help but smile. She was so cute when she got flustered. "I'm just not used to these...legs." She released her hold on the Captain and stood up straight. "It won't happen again."

"Are legs really that awful?" he asked her. He had seen that repulsed look in her eyes when she mentioned her new limbs.

"I hate them."

He wasn't expecting that. "They can't be all that bad-"

"I hate them!" she repeated with more force. "I hate everything that has to do with them! I just want to go back to normal!"

Her words sent a twinge of pain through his chest. He wasn't sure if it was because of what she was implying or this weird heart connection thing. There was still a lot to figure out about that.

"So, you hate everything that has to do with legs, eh? Does that include yourself too, or just the rest of us lowly and pathetic humans?"

The mermaid looked shocked. "No, I didn't mean-"

She didn't get to finish her thought because the Captain had already started walking again. He knew she was just speaking out of frustration, but it still sent his temper flaring. This was how he gets repaid for helping someone. Well, he had some choice words to say to fate for giving him this lot, and a nice pointy stick that fate can shove where the sun don't shine.

The two of them walked in silence for a while. Soon the beach came into view, and Arthur headed straight for the small rowboat, which was still lying on the sand where they had left it. He helped the mermaid climb into the craft without saying a word and pushed the boat into the gently rippling water. The only sound for the longest time was the slapping of the oars against the water. Arthur focused on that instead of the girl across from him.

Shouting greeted them as they drew closer to the Queen Lady moored in the cove. The rowboat was pulled up onto the deck by the strongest of the crew, and the Captain jumped out of the boat before anyone could say a word. He approached one of his men and spoke quickly.

"Find a room for the girl and make sure she has what she needs." The crew member nodded. "Post someone to watch the door and make sure she doesn't go anywhere until I ask for her."

"Understood, Cap'n." The man walked away to help the mermaid out of the rowboat and lead her to a spare room.

Arthur sighed and headed toward his private quarters. It had been a long day, and all he really wanted to do was kick off his boots and relax with some hot tea. Rum was good for small headaches, but he found tea was the best for situations in which he felt like his head was about to explode.

"Cap'n, a word." His large first mate intercepted him before he could get away.

"Make it fast, Christov," the Captain sighed.

"There's been...an incident."

Arthur raised a large brow. "An incident?"

"It would seem that we 'ave a stowaway."

The Captain grit his teeth. Just one more thing to add to his list of troubles. "Where?"

"We put the wiggly scoundrel in the storage room where we kept the girl. Some o' the men thought it' be funny t' throw the lad int' the tub."

The thought brought a faint smile to the Captain's face. "I'll see to that first then. Have the cook boil a kettle of water while I'm occupied."

He left his first mate and walked toward the stairs. His boots thumped loudly as he descended below deck and went in search of the storage room. The sooner he got this over with the better. No one had bothered to lock the door to the room, so Arthur stepped inside without having to pull out his obnoxiously large key ring. He hated having to search the thing for the right key whenever some idiot locked one into the room it was for.

The Captain closed the door, and then turned around to face the stowaway. What he saw was not what he was expecting. It was a boy. Well, he was older than Peter, but still couldn't be much older than eighteen or nineteen. He squirmed as Arthur moved closer, and the Captain realized there was still water in the tub. A snort of amusement escaped him.

"Well, well, well. It's not every day we get a stowaway, especially one as young as you. Usually they're trying to make off with our gold. You wouldn't be up to anything like that, would you?"

The young man stopped struggling, but couldn't answer because of the gag in his mouth. His glasses hung crookedly on his face as well, and Arthur wondered if he could even see the pirate standing next to him. The Captain straightened the glasses and removed the gag.

"Who are you, boy, and don't even think about lying."

The man in the tub spat into the sea water with a disgusted face. "Bleh! That cloth tasted awful. Is this how you treat everyone?"

Arthur felt his irritation growing. He didn't want to deal with this right now. "Don't change the subject, you bloody git! Who are you, and what are you doing aboard my ship?"

"I want to be a pirate!" the stowaway answered brightly. "I saw your ship back in Gaal and jumped on! I didn't know what to say, so I hid until someone found me!" He laughed obnoxiously, and Arthur was starting to think that putting his gag back on and leaving him here to rot would be a good idea.

"Look, I'm not here to play games with you. Either you tell me what you really want or-"

"But I am telling the truth." All traces of humor left the young man's face. "Seriously, I want to join your crew."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. It's possible the boy was being sincere. "What's your name?"

"Alfred. Alfred F. Jones."


	9. Chapter 9

Captain Kirkland's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. How had he not noticed before? The resemblance was so great that he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it earlier. His dirty blonde hair, his bright blue eyes, his carefree smile, and even his unruly ahoge. They all reminded him of someone he hasn't seen in years.

"What...did you say your name was?"

"Alfred, why?"

"Full name!" Arthur barked impatiently.

"A-Alfred F. Jones," the boy stuttered with fear in his eyes.

"Jones...it can't be..." The Captain turned away to hide the shock on his face. It couldn't be possible.

"Is, um...something the matter?"

"What happened to her?"

Alfred didn't seem to know what Arthur was talking about. He looked around nervously. "W-who? I-I don't know w-what's going on."

"Where is she?!" Arthur roared as he spun to face the stowaway.

The boy was too terrified to do anything other than gape with wide blue eyes. He probably wished he could submerge himself in the little bit of water at the bottom of the tub and disappear.

The Captain pounded his fist on the edge of the tub. "Your mother! Where is she?"

Understanding finally seemed to dawn on Alfred's face, and his terror was replaced by something deeper. Something painful. His eyes clouded with emotion as his gaze dropped to his lap.

"She's...gone."

Arthur felt a small piece of him die on the inside. His breath caught in his throat, and all of his previous rage and confusion left him like death's last breath. Thoughts refused to come clearly as the Captain stumbled toward the door. He didn't even think about the stowaway as he stormed out of the room with the door still open. All he could focus on was keeping his feet moving.

Nothing registered in Arthur's head as he passed crew members on his way to his own quarters. A man walked with him for a while saying something he didn't quite catch all of.

"...the door like ya asked, Cap'n. She's ready whenever ya want t' see 'er, but she ain't in the best o' moods."

"Eh...? Oh, yes. I'll be there later," the Captain said without a thought toward the mermaid. He just needed to get away.

The man left him alone as he reached the door to his quarters. It took him a minute to pull the key out of his breast pocket and slide it into the lock. He fumbled with it for a minute more until the lock slid open with a click. Arthur hurried inside and shut the door behind him while making sure to lock it again.

He slowly made his way to his desk where a steaming cup of tea sat waiting for him. The cook was the only other person with a key to the Captain's room so he could bring food in whenever necessary. Usually Arthur would appreciate his thoughtfulness, but he was beyond feeling anything at this point. Everything had gone numb as if he had touched a bright yellow blossom from the kaleel tree.

White, vaporous steam drifted up from the tea, and he sighed as he have in to its warm enticings. It had a delightfully flowery taste that relaxed the tense knots in Arthur's shoulders. How wonderful tea is for the ragged soul, and Arthur's was ragged indeed. His gaze landed on a framed photograph that sat on his desk next to a pot of ink.

The woman in the picture was smiling, which was rather unusual when having a picture taken. Her lips were pulled up into one of the most vibrant smiles the Captain had ever seen, until today. Even though the photograph was black and white, he still remembered the light brown color of her hair and shining blue eyes. She had always complained about one unruly bit of hair that stood up funny if she didn't try to wrestle it back into place, and Arthur could still hear her boisterous laugh as if he had seen her just five minutes ago and not twenty years.

In a way he had seen her five minutes ago. The resemblance had been uncanny, not to mention the name. Jones. It had been her's before she had married.

The Captain set his cup down with a weary sigh. "Mother..."

* * *

My room was rather simply furnished in comparison to the other room I was in before. There was a plain bed, a small chest, and a chair with a little table. A half burned candle sat lit and dripping on a metal holder that had been carefully set on the table, and it was the only source of light in the room. The door was closed behind me like the closing of a jail cell. I only thought that because I had seen the sentry they posted by the door. Even with our mutual need of each other's assistance, it would seem that Arthur still didn't trust me.

I sighed in frustration and plopped down on my bed. It felt so wonderful to get off my aching feet that I almost laughed out loud. How did humans stand having such inefficient and frail limbs? The thought made me miss my fin with renewed fervor. Having legs didn't even compare with the freedom of swimming in the deep blue where up, down, left, and right have no meaning. I let myself fall onto my back with another sigh.

That's when I remembered the silver fish clutched tightly in my hand. I held it up to look at a little more closely since I never got the chance at Ojigwa's hut. She said it would come in handy, but I had no idea how that could be true. It looked as plain as could be. The only thing that was a little unusual was the fish's eye. Instead of actually having an eye, there was just a hole that went straight through. I wished I had some kind of chord to string through it, but unfortunately I was all out. It would have helped to keep it from getting lost.

I closed my hand around the fish and stared blankly at the ceiling. It had been one of the craziest days I could recall in all of my one hundred and fourteen years. I smiled at the thought. The look on Arthur's face when he heard that had been absolutely priceless, like someone had told him he was sleeping with his grandmother. I couldn't hold back my laughter at the absurd thought, and laughed until my sides hurt.

It didn't last long though. In the end, I was still trapped in this room like a fish in a net. Or maybe I wasn't. I sat up quickly as an idea began to form in my mind. In a flash, I hopped off my bed and started for the door. Halfway there I stopped and looked down at the fish in my hand. I didn't think of myself as superstitious, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I shouldn't lose it, so I opened the chest at the foot of the bed and placed it carefully inside a small compartment.

Confident that the charm was secure, I walked back to the door and opened it a crack. I knew there was someone on guard, but I was fairly certain I could get around that minor obstacle. The wooden door creaked as I pushed it open a little further, and someone jumped a little in surprise.

"W-who's there?"

"Just me," I said in my sweetest voice. I peeked my head around the door and fluttered my lashes at the pirate.

He was on the shorter side and quite plump around the middle. Despite that fact, his trousers looked like they would slip off any second, and he kept tugging at them nervously. He also wiped his brow with a dirty handkerchief, which ruffled what little hair he had left. It was hard to tell his age, but he definitely didn't look young.

"Just me? Just me who? Oh!" He finally noticed me watching him from the door. "Ohhhhh...er, ehem. Got me some strict orders not t' let ya outta this 'ere room, lassie."

"I don't want to leave. I was just lonely and I was hopping you could keep me company." More eye batting.

"C-c-comp'ny?" He looked absolutely flabbergasted. "Me?"

"Sure." I stepped out of the room and softly closed the door. "What's your name, pirate?"

"James," he said with a sigh. A dreamy look had filled his eyes, and his head was starting to tilt to one side.

"How lovely." I could have laughed. Humans were so easy to trick. They had no idea how much power is in a name, even if it was only their first name. "Would you be a dear, James, and get me something to eat. I'm famished," I said with as much charm as I could muster.

"O-o' course!" The pirate snapped to attention and saluted like he had probably done hundreds of times before to his captain. He shuffled off supporting his pants with one hand while mumbling something about a lost belt.

I smiled impishly and started to walk away before poor James snapped out of his daze and realized what he had done. Names are powerful, but they're double sided blades. He could have just as easily done the same to me, if he had known my name. That's the price mermaids pay for wielding such magic.

I didn't really have a destination in mind, but I didn't care. Just the idea of being free for once put me in a good mood. Lamps flickered around me as the ship rocked slightly to the side. My unsteady legs stumbled a bit at the sudden shift in footing, and I had to grab a doorknob to keep myself from falling over. Soon the ship righted itself, and I tried to get back on my feet. I failed miserably. My legs became suddenly weak and refused to support my weight, which sent me crashing to the floor again.

A horrible, horrible pain shot through my chest like it was trying to rip itself apart. I held back a scream while I hugged myself desperately. It seemed like the only way to keep myself from falling apart. I had never felt anything this awful in my life. One word forced its way into my mind as I writhed in pain.

Heartbreak.

Confusion quickly followed this thought. Mermaids don't feel heartbreak. We break hearts, but we never have our hearts broken. The only ones with this kind of power are humans, and we know better than to let ourselves fall in love with humans. I didn't understand then how I could be experiencing this kind of pain.

The sensation in my chest began to lessen, but it refused to go away completely. Somehow, I found the strength to stand and forced myself to keep walking. I could see the stairs just down the hall, but it seemed like an impossible distance to close. Little by little, my feet shuffled forward as I kept one arm wrapped tightly around myself. There was only one reason I could be feeling this way, and I had to find him before it was too late.

It took so long to reach the stairs that I was surprised no one found me, especially James. Seems like he wasn't fastest fish in the school. The stairs were a challenge all of their own, but I managed to crawl up them with the teeniest bit of dignity still intact. Probably was a good thing no one was there to watch because it was ridiculously pathetic. The pain had faded to a dull ache, but it was still unbearable. I had to find him fast.

Unfortunately, I didn't know where to look, but I did have a hunch. Luckily for me, no one was anywhere near the stairs when I stepped onto deck, and I was able to sneak my way to the sterncastle where I knew Arthur's room was. Or at least that was where I thought it was.

The closer I got to the ornate door leading to the room, the more intense the pain in my chest became. I knew without a shadow of a doubt it was him causing me this pain. Sharing hearts was more intimate than I ever could have imagined it to be. If this really was his pain, I had to stop him from feeling it before it killed me. I couldn't take much more of this intolerable heartbreak.

I was about three steps away when the pain brought me to my knees. Tears burned in my eyes as I curled up into myself in an effort to bring some kind of comfort. I had to keep going before I fell apart, so I dragged myself the final distance to the heavy wooden door. My vision blurred as the tears spilled onto my cheeks, and I reached out with a shaking hand. I clawed feebly at the door, but nothing happened. If anything, the pain only got worse.

With the last of my strength, I pulled myself up using the metal doorknob and pounded on the wood with my fists. "Arthur..." I called pathetically. "Stop it...Arthur. Don't hurt anymore..."


	10. Chapter 10

The Captain hopped up out of his chair. Someone was pounding on his door, but it didn't sound like one of his men. Usually they didn't bother to knock at all. They just shouted whatever they came to say and were gone by the time Arthur opened his door. Sometimes they even opened the door without asking if it wasn't locked. Whoever was at the door wasn't a crew member.

Arthur fully expected to see Christov when he opened the door, and the only reason the first mate would bother him was for something important. Worry and annoyance quickly replaced the anguish Captain Kirkland was feeling just moments ago as he unlocked the door and pulled it open. He wasn't expecting nobody. The Captain poked his head out the door for a better look, but there was no one in sight.

"Bloody pranksters..." he growled as he began to close the door. If he ever found out who was responsible, they would pay dearly for disturbing him. That's when something grabbed his boot.

"A-Arthur..."

"Holy Mother of-" The Captain leapt away from the doorway with a string of curses. It took him a moment to understand what he saw. "(Y/n)?"

"Hi," she said sheepishly from the floor. Her face was unusually pale, and her hand shook as she waved. "C-can I come in?"

"You're not supposed to be here," Arthur answered as he set his face in what he hoped was a stern expression.

"Uh huh." The mermaid slowly pulled herself up from the floor into a sitting position. She already looked a little stronger than before. "I wasn't originally planning on coming here, but you forced my hand."

"Me?" Arthur shot her a confused look. "What have I done?"

"I don't know, but it hurts like crazy so knock it off." She got up onto unsteady feet and braced herself against the doorframe. "Who tore your heart apart?"

Captain Kirkland couldn't keep from flinching at the mermaid's words. The pain from before started to seep back into his chest as his thoughts returned to his late mother. He clenched his fists.

Before he could say anything, the mermaid collapsed to her knees and hunched over as if in severe pain. Arthur was so surprised he couldn't even react. It took him a moment to clear his head and remember how a gentleman would act in such a situation. He quickly knelt next to the girl and gently touched her arm.

"What's the matter, (y/n)? Are you hurt?"

"No, but you are."

Arthur became more confused than ever by her response. "Excuse me?"

"Just think about rainbows and ponies and cake or something. Think happy."

"Happy?" Arthur furrowed his brows. What made him happy? Well, there was gold, rum, fairies, unicorns, and spirits. Not that he would ever admit those things.

"Much better," the mermaid said with a sigh. She looked up with watery eyes and a strained smile at the pirate captain. "Maybe I should explain a few things before you try to kill me again."

It took her about a half hour to explain to Arthur how the heart connection works. Apparently her mermaid magic had bound their hearts together physically and emotionally. If either one of them died, so did the other. If one of them felt a very strong emotion, so did the other. Arthur didn't know whether to believe her, but it didn't seem like she was faking the pain she was in earlier.

"So, if this is real, aren't you making a really big gamble?" he asked with narrowed eyes. "What if something happens to me?"

"That's always the risk," she answered. "I didn't want to do this, but you gave me no choice. I wasn't about to be sold as cargo."

She said it with such vehemence that the Captain was starting to understand what she meant. Or maybe that was the heart connection giving him these feelings. Honestly, he wasn't sure what to think anymore. This whole situation had spiraled so quickly out of his control that he felt like a helpless lad just learning to live on his own, and he didn't enjoy the feeling one bit.

"Well, what do you suggest we do to get out of this mess? I have to help you since you'll die if I don't, and I don't know about you, love, but I'm not too keen on dying any time soon."

"Ojigwa said I should go home," she responded almost wistfully.

"And where is that, exactly?"

"Um..." The mermaid chewed her lip thoughtfully. Arthur found the gesture to be kind of adorable, but he would never say that. "It's hard to explain."

"Great." The Captain stood up and tuned away from the girl as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "As if things couldn't get any bloody worse, you don't know where we should go."

"It's around here."

"What?" He turned back to see an empty doorway. While he was preoccupied, the mermaid had gotten to her feet and made her way over to a wall with a large map pinned on it.

"I think it's around here, but I can't say for sure."

Arthur joined the girl at the map and looked where her finger was pointing. It was right off the coast of an island in the southern portion of the Sea of Hess. That was at least a week's worth of sailing from their current position.

"There? By Illiam Island? Are you sure?"

"I think so. If I'm reading this right. I've never seen a human map before. Is there really so much land?"

The Captain thought it was odd that she thought there was a lot of land when most of the map was the ocean, but then again she had never been on land before in her life. He could see why she would think there was a lot of it. She seemed so amazed by the smallest things sometimes, but he wondered what crazy things she has seen in the depths of the sea.

"This is where we are now," Arthur said as he pointed to a landmass in the top left corner of the map. "We call it the Northern Continent, or Herdhold by the natives."

"What are they like?"

"Big, strong, blonde, and pale, especially in the north." He pointed to a large dot on the map. "The people in Berd are some of the tallest you'll ever meet. Must have something to do with the cold."

"What about this one?" she asked with her finger on a different continent directly south of the first.

"That's the Western Continent, or Vanhold. We caught you around here in the Sea of Hess, and then took you to Wend, here." Arthur pointed to another dot. "The people there aren't as big or pale, but they have fair skin and hair for the most part."

"Ohhh." The mermaid's eyes seemed to light up. "Then the Isle of Mermaids is right where I said. It's by that island full of weird pale people."

"Sounds like Illiam," Arthur said with a roll of his eyes.

"What about here?" she asked as she pointed to a continent in the opposite corner of the map from the Northern Continent.

"What is this, a geography lesson?" The Captain sounded annoyed, but he actually enjoyed sharing his knowledge of the known world. "That's the Southern Continent, or Agbalhold by its people. Its marshes are dark like the people who live there."

"Is that where Ninya came from?"

"Yes, most likely."

"That's so far away..." She traced a line from the Northern Continent to the Southern. "How sad."

Arthur felt a twinge of sadness as well, but he attributed it to their connection. "You should worry about yourself. You're pretty far from home too."

"I suppose..."

The sadness in the Captain's heart intensified tenfold, but he ignored it and pointed to the last continent instead. "That's the Eastern Continent, or Cashold. The people there have a strange magic and culture. They believe in spirits and dragons and other such nonsense."

"You don't believe in those things?"

Her question caught him off guard. "I believe in hard work, good rum, and gold. What else is there to believe in?"

"That's a little sad." The look on her face was enough to twist his heart. He was about to say something back when a loud bell rang outside.

"That's the dinner bell," Arthur said matter of factly. "Guess it's time to eat."

"What's for dinner?"

"No clue. Let's go see what the cook made."

* * *

I quickly found out the cook's name really was Cook, or at least he insisted I call him that. He worked in a little kitchen attached to some kind of dining hall at the back of the ship. I would've never found the place if Arthur hadn't shown me the way. He wasn't particularly talkative as he led me through the halls, and I wondered if it had anything to do with the conversation we had.

After introducing me to Cook, Arthur walked into the dining hall and stood on a crate so he could be seen by everyone, even in the back. "Listen up! This is (y/n). She's going to be staying with us for a while, so try to act somewhat civilized."

There were a few snorts, whistles, and other unpleasant sounds. I was handed a bowl of some revolting looking soup and told to find a seat.

"W-where should I sit?"

"There's an op'n seat righ' next t' me, lassie!" someone called from the back.

"Nah! (Y/n) should sit bah me!"

"No, me!"

"Me!"

"Ye all got maggots in yer 'eads if ya think she's gonna sit by the lot of ye!"

"Ya wanna say that t' me face?!"

"Yer on, fish breath!"

"Pervy eyes!"

"Yella belly!"

"Sea urchin lips!"

Before I knew what was happening, a small brawl had broken out in the middle of the dining hall. Several men were pummeling each other amidst a crowd of other men shouting encouragement. The few that stayed out of it were either eating or placing bets on who the winner would be. All the while, Arthur had disappeared, and I still didn't know where to sit.

"Come with me!" Someone pulled on my sleeve, and I looked down to see Peter standing beside me.

"Peter? Where did you-"

"No time! Just follow me!"

The two of us snuck away without being noticed to a table all the way in the back of the room. It was so far that the sounds of the brawl were only audible if I really strained to hear them. I took a seat next to Peter, who began to introduce me to the other two sitting there already.

"(Y/n), this is James and Squeaker."

"Hello, nice to meet you."

"It's not e'ry day we git a purtty lass t' sit at our table," Squeaker said with a blush. He tugged on his red and white stripped bandana nervously.

The other man, James, just turned very pale but didn't say a word. "I'm sorry for sneaking out," I said with an apologetic smile. "I hope you didn't get in trouble?"

"T-trouble? N-not at all." He still seemed to be in some kind of shock.

"Did you ever find your belt?"

"Belt?" A look of confusion came over him until he realized what I was talking about. "Ah! Yes! It was in me clothes chest the whole time."

"Do you two know each other?" Peter asked curiously.

"I guess you could say that." I flashed him a quick smile before looking down at my bowl. "Is this supposed to be edible?"

Squeaker laughed. "Ye wouldn't be the firs' person t' ask that! Took me a good week t' get used to Cook's cookin'!"

I didn't feel particularly encouraged by that. "Where did Arthur go?"

"Uncle? He never eats down here."

"But he forces you to?"

"No. I choose to eat down here," the boy answered with a mouthful of whatever was in the soup. "It's more fun than sitting in Uncle's room."

"I see." I glanced at my bowl again and shuddered. "Does anyone want this?" Three hands shot into the air. "Fine, it's all yours."

"Whoever's oldest gits it," James said as I got up from the table.

"No fair! I'm the youngest!" Peter replied.

"Well, then t' the shortest gits it!" Squeaker said.

"Pick straws for it!"

"Ye always cheat!"

"Roll dice!"

I never found out who got it in the end because I slipped out of the dining hall without drawing attention. The empty hallway was very inviting, and I walked as quickly as I could away from the loud hubbub behind me. Unfortunately, I had forgotten how to get back to my room. Every door and corridor I came across looked the same, and I couldn't get a good sense of which direction I was going. With each turn I was convinced I was just walking in circles.

Finally, I came across something different. A door had been left open in this hallway, and I walked toward it excitedly. Maybe I could figure out where I was from what was in the room. No light came from the open doorway as I peeked my head inside. It was hard to tell if anything was in there at all, so I grabbed a lamp from off a wall and carried it inside the dark room. I wasn't expecting what I saw.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked. There was a young man sitting in my old bath tub with the most miserable look on his face.

"Are you here to untie me?" he asked hopefully. His blue eyes seems to light up behind a pair of glasses.

"No...but I can if you want." I hurried to the tub and set the lamp down on the floor. "How did you get here?"

"I stowed away," he answered with a big grin. "Then I got caught and they threw me in here."

His clothes were soaking wet, and I was surprised he hadn't caught a cold. I worked on untying the rope binding his hands behind his back as he continued to explain what had happened to him. He was treated so much worse than I was that I felt really guilty. Arthur probably took out all of his frustration over the situation with me on this kid.

"Then he got all freaked out and started asking me about my mom," he explained as I got the ropes off his wrists.

"Your mom?" That seems like an odd thing to get bent out of shape over. "Why?"

"I don't know. He wanted to know what happened to her, but she..." He didn't say anymore, but I understood.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm sure it's nothing. What's your name?"

"Alfred," he told me with enthusiasm, his mother and Arthur forgotten. "Alfred F. Jones."

"Okay, Alfred F. Jones. Let's get you out of this bathtub."


	11. Chapter 11

It took around a week to sail south to Illiam, but it was by no means a boring trip. I spent most of the days touring the ship with Peter, playing cards with Squeaker and James, and learning the ins and outs of human cooking from Cook. He was actually a very pleasant man with a rather unfortunate sense of taste, or it might just be that I didn't think herring and apples go well together. There is one dish he made very well, and that was something he called peach cobbler. It was probably the most delicious thing I had ever tasted.

"The key is the crust," he told me. "You has ta make it light an' flakey."

"Like this?" I gestured to a carefully rolled out layer of dough.

Cook looked at the crust closely and gently poked it in several places. "Hmmm...this is...absolutely magnificent! Very good job, (y/n)!"

A little while later, the rich smell of baking cobbler filled the small kitchen area as we waited for it to be done. Cook sliced it up as soon as he pulled it out of the wood stove and gave me a steaming piece. The anticipation of waiting for it too cool was almost too much, but I didn't want to scald my tongue on the piping hot peach filling.

"Ah, what I would give for a cool scoop of ice cream," Cook said with a sigh. "Peach cobbler à la mode. Delicious."

"Ice cream?" I asked as I looked up from my slice of cobbler. "What's that?"

"Well, it's cold an' sweet, and jus' right on a hot summer day." He shook his head. "You has ta try it ta really know, dearie." He placed another slice of cobbler on a plate with a fork and handed it to me. "Why don' you bring that up ta the Captain? I'm sure he'd like that."

I nodded and took the plate from him. The excited anticipation of eating the peach cobbler was quickly swallowed by the fear of talking to Arthur. I had barely seen him since we set sail for the island of Illiam, and I wasn't exactly looking forward to talking to him. Our last major conversation hadn't been the best, but it wasn't the worst either. He probably hated me for the mess he was in, which I completely understood, but there were times when it seemed like we almost got along.

These thoughts continued to plague me as I made my way to the stairs. The one thing I had been able to accomplish over the week was knowing where everything was aboard the Queen Lady. Peter had been very good at showing me every nook and cranny of the large vessel, and I could probably navigate it blindfolded at this point. I nearly tripped over Alfred as those newer thoughts bounced around in my head with the old ones.

"Woah! Careful there!" Alfred said as he caught my arm. Without his help I probably would've fallen over. "Where are you heading in such a hurry, (y/n)?"

"Sorry. Just going to see Arthur."

"Oooo...," he answered with a small frown. "Good luck with that."

"I'm gonna need it," I grumbled.

Arthur had finally let Alfred join the crew after, but the pirate gave him all of the worst jobs to do. Whenever I saw Alfred he was always scrubbing the deck, emptying chamber pots, peeling potatoes, cutting onions, doing the laundry, or chipping barnacles off the side of the ship. I kind of got the impression Arthur made that up especially for Alfred since it involved the latter dangling down the side of the ship by his ankles.

He was about to leave for whatever unpleasant chore he had to do next, but I stopped him before he could. "Here, this is for you." I handed him one of my plates.

"Huh? What's this? Peach cobbler!" Alfred's blue eyes shined. "Wow, (y/n)! Is this really for me?"

"Sure," I told him with a smile. "I can always get more from Cook. Besides, I think you need it more than me."

"Tanksh, dood," he said with a mouth full of cobbler. "I'll shee ya awoun!"

I waved at the enthusiastic blonde as he walked away. Alfred always brought a smile to my face, unlike Arthur. My mood immediately dampened at the thought of the pirate captain. There was still that to take care of. I sighed and turned to climb the stairs, but just as I did some kind of warning bell began to sound. That couldn't be good. I rushed up the stairs with the plate clutched tightly between my hands.

* * *

"Land ho!" Squeaker called from the crow's nest. He had a telescope pressed to his eye as he leaned further out of his perch.

Arthur burst out of his private quarters and joined the swarm of men gathering on the deck. Excited murmuring rippled through the crowd as an island became faintly visible on the horizon. The Captain pushed his way through to the starboard rail and put a sleek telescope up to his eye so he could make sure for himself.

"Is it Illiam, Cap'n?" Christov asked.

"As far as I can tell." Arthur closed the telescope and slipped it into a coat pocket. "According to the mermaid, her island is nearby. We need to get a landing crew together."

"No!"

The panicked cry tore through the crowd, and everyone fell silent. They all turned to look at the person who had made such a noise. A path cleared, and Arthur saw the mermaid standing there wide eyed with a plate of food in her hands. She seemed to realize everyone was staring at her and took a step back.

"Why not?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"B-because it's dangerous," she answered.

"We kin 'andle a bunch o' mermaids," someone in the crowd shouted. There was a general murmur of agreement from the others.

"No, you don't understand. The Isle of Mermaids is protected by magic," she insisted.

"Really?" Arthur eyed her suspiciously. "We've landed on a small island around here in the past and nothing ever happened."

"You must not have landed recently because they've upped the security around the island after a certain...incident."

"Incident? Like what?" Christov asked.

The mermaid sighed. "Some crazy pirate landed on the island and started setting things on fire while yelling something about an abuelo. Ever since then, they surrounded the island with magical whirlpools that won't let any ship pass."

Abluelo. Arthur had a feeling he knew who that pirate was. "So, how do you suggest we get on the island?"

"We don't need to get on the island," she said with a shake of her head. "We need to get under it."

Captain Kirkland had a hard time finding volunteers after that conversation. Christov offered to go with a grim expression, and Arthur already knew he had to go. No one else seemed to want to step forward. Nervous glances were exchanged as men shuffled their feet and refused to look at their captain. Arthur shook his head and sighed.

"What a lot of cowards," he muttered.

"C-can I volunteer someone?" Everyone looked at the mermaid in surprise.

"I suppose..." The Captain sighed. The crew shifted nervously. Probably trying to figure out which of them was going to be chosen.

"I want Alfred to come with us."

"What?!" Arthur's green eyes flared dangerously. "Absolutely not!"

"Why? He works just as hard as anyone else on this ship!"

"No. I refuse to let that bloody wanker go with us."

The mermaid stepped forward and stood firm. "I want him with us."

"And I said no," Arthur hissed through clenched teeth. That's when he had an idea. "(Y/n), you don't want that git with us."

She stared him down. "Yes, I do."

The Captain's eyes widened. "No, you don't, (y/n)."

"Yes, I do!" She smirked wickedly. "What's the matter, Arthur? Maybe if you said it a little more authoritatively it might work. Or not."

"What have you done, wench?" he snarled.

"Nothing. You did it."

"What?" The Captain wasn't expecting that.

"You told everyone my name. The more people that know, the weaker the magic. I don't have to do anything you say."

Arthur could barely stand the smug smirk on the mermaid's face. He silently fumed as he weighed his options. If he gave in to her request, he would look weak. Then again, if he didn't, she might not help him. That would leave him in a worse position than square one. Before he could reply, she spoke again.

"I'll give you this cobbler if you let Alfred come." She held up the plate she was holding.

Arthur thought it over. "Bake the whole crew pies, and I'll let the git come."

"Deal." She said it quickly, but her face betrayed some inner distress. Baking that many pies wouldn't be easy.

"Someone bring the boy up here!" The Captain roared.

It took a while to find Alfred and get him on deck, but he had a wide smile when he finally showed up. There were also cobbler crumbs on his face, but the mermaid brushed them off before too many people could notice. Arthur resisted the urge to shove the boy overboard. He could barely keep his disdain in check, and he knew that the mermaid knew. She kept giving him questioning looks, but he refused to give her any kind of indication as to why he felt that way.

"So, what's going on?" Alfred asked.

"We're going to visit my home," the mermaid answered.

"Cool." The blonde grinned. "Where is it?"

"There." She pointed to a small island that grew closer and closer as the Queen Lady sailed across gentle crests of water.

"How do you suggest we get there?" the Captain asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"We swim."

Christov paled. "There isn't another way?"

"Nope. Just trust meeeeeee!" the mermaid shouted as she jumped over the ship's railing.

"Good enough for me," Alfred said with a shrug. He ran after the girl and dived into the water.

"Come along, Christov," Arthur grumbled. "We don't want to lose them."

"If ya say so, Cap'n."

* * *

The sea embraced me like an old friend, which I guess it was. I sank for a little ways, and then floated unmoving. Breathing came just as easily to me underwater as it did in the open air, but it wasn't easy to maneuver in the water without my fin. I sighed. There wasn't anything I could do about that unfortunately.

Another splash sounded dully in the water, and I turned to see Alfred sinking into the deep blue. He was holding his breath, and gave me an odd hand gesture before swimming for the surface. What did it mean to stick your thumb up at someone? I didn't get to ponder the thought for long because two more splashes filled the water around me with shimmering bubbles.

Arthur and Christov immediately headed for the surface, and I had to help the first mate fight his way up. Someone really needed to help this man learn to swim. We all broke the surface at the same time and joined Alfred bobbing in the gentle waves.

"What now?" he asked excitedly.

"We swim."

"But we can't breathe in the water," Christov interjected.

"I can fix that," I told him. I took a deep breath and touched each person's head in turn. "There. I've temporarily granted you the ability to breathe underwater."

"Sweet!" Alfred dived underwater and didn't surface for a long while.

"Is it really safe?" Christov asked warily.

"Of course!" I answered. "Don't worry, I'll help you. Come on!"

I dived under the water and did some spins in the cool blue. There's nothing like being free with no silly limitations like up or down, left or right. However, there was still one thing bothering me. I couldn't feel the pull of the mighty ocean. Usually, there was some kind of deep, overwhelming presence around me, but now I didn't feel anything. I couldn't help but be reminded of what Ojigwa had said about my connection with the ocean being severed. It was horribly, painfully true.

"This is amazing!" Alfred shouted. His voice was somewhat muffled by the water surrounding him.

"Incredible," murmured Arthur as he swam past me. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to hear the comment, but I was glad I did.

"'Ow much further..." Christov complained.

"To that rock formation," I said as I pointed to the distance.

A large outcropping of rock rose from the sea floor up to the surface and beyond. The entire island was actually one large mountain that joined the earth beneath the water. No one would have known that unless they saw it from this angle, which only the fish and merfolk ever did. The three men gawked with open mouths that made them look like fish themselves. I just smiled.

"What in the world..." Arthur said in awe.

"A hollow mountain," I told him good naturedly. "That's my home."


	12. Chapter 12

The Captain had never seen anything like this in his life, which was saying a lot since he's a pirate, and pirates see just about everything. He was so shocked he almost forgot to breathe. Luckily, he remembered before it was too late. The mermaid excitedly swam off toward the mountain without waiting for the rest of them, and so Arthur was stuck helping Christov paddle through the water. Even with the ability to breathe underwater, the large man still had a tendency to sink.

"Good heavens, Christov. Isn't it time to lose some weight?"

"It's all muscle, sah." His voice was joking, his face said otherwise.

They swam in silence after that as the mountain loomed closer and closer. Alfred swam alongside the Captain, but never said a word to the higher ranking man. Arthur didn't blame him. He did feel a little bad about giving the young man the worst jobs aboard the ship, but at the same time he didn't. This was his way of finally getting closure for what happened to his mother so many years ago, or at least that's what he told himself.

This trail of thought settled heavily on Captain Kirkland's mind, and he attempted to keep from dwelling on it any further. He watched the mermaid swim gracefully ahead of him even without the use of her tail. If he didn't know any better, it would seem as if she didn't have a single care in the world. It was a rather believable act, but he knew there was a lot she was hiding. Much more than he was aware of. The Captain didn't think for a second that he had her all figured out, but he never let on how ignorant he was. There was power in secrets after all.

"We're almost there."

If he wasn't swimming, Arthur would have jumped. He looked around to see where the mermaid was, but he couldn't see her anywhere. That was definitely her voice he heard, so where did she go?

"Down here."

The Captain looked down to see her swimming fluidly beneath him like she was water itself. Her previous confidence seemed to have melted away leaving her with only a nervous energy to keep her going. She met Arthur's gaze. He could sense her fear even without seeing it so plainly displayed in her eyes. A sigh sent bubbles floating to the surface.

"It's going to be okay," he told her.

She nodded absentmindedly. "I hope so."

"What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

I really wished he hadn't said that. Everything always seemed to go wrong after someone says something like that. I broke away from his mesmerizing green eyes to face the mountain, which was now so close I couldn't see the top. A dark cave mouth opened at the sea floor, and I swam for it as calmly as I could.

The reality was that I was scared as I had ever been in my entire life. There had always been rumors and horror stories of mermaids who had lost their tails, but none have ever returned to the Isle of Mermaids as long as anyone could remember. Until now.

I took a shaky breath as the mouth of the cave passed over my head. Usually the sight of my home brought me relief, but not today. Glowing crystals lit the way for us as we continued through the dim tunnel leading to the center of the mountain where the other merpeople were. A small school of silver fish darted away from me as I passed them. Their thoughts were hard to understand since there were so many of them, but the gist was clear. Foreigners had arrived.

"I've never seen fish like that," Alfred whispered.

"They only live around here in the caves around this island," I answered. "They like the dark."

"Sweet." He reached out toward the school, but they swam away in a panic. It would be bad for us if they alerted anyone of our presence before we got all the way inside.

"Let's hurry," I urged.

"Easy for you to say..." Arthur's comment was snide, but the strain of supporting Christov was plainly evident on his face. I felt guilty for leaving him with that responsibility.

"Sorry. I'll call some help." I whistled. Nothing happened at first, but then a small gray head peeked around the corner. "Hey there. Can you help us out?"

The dolphin clicked and whistled excitedly as it swam closer. He was small for his age, but that was to our advantage in this narrow tunnel. I quickly filled him in on what was going on and sent him to help poor Christov swim. He was happy to help, and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before leaving. What a charmer. He was always the playful one.

I shook my head with a laugh and continued further into the tunnel. It was a relief to know he would still come when I called even without my tail. He was an old friend of mine, and I would miss his company more than almost anyone else.

"What's his name?" Alfred asked with a sparkle in his eye. He looked more excited than me at the dolphin's presence.

"Well, I don't know if you'd be able to pronounce it."

"Why not?"

"The language of the merfolk is...complicated."

"Try me."

"Alright, you asked," I said with a smile. "Its-" I made a series of odd squeaks, clicks, and pops.

Alfred's smile fell. "Yeah, I can't say that."

"Told you."

We laughed, and as we did the tunnel opened up into a massive cave with sunlight shining down through an opening in the mountain high above the surface. Only about half the cave was filled with water, but it was still a huge area full of shining buildings and people. Well, merpeople that is. Fish swam between waving plants and buildings as small children chased them excitedly. I almost called out to them, but one little girl caught sight of us first. Her purple eyes widened, and then she screamed. Yeah, we weren't off to a great start.

The guards showed up within minutes as a crowd began to form. Mothers quickly ushered their children away while others watched us suspiciously. Alfred smiled and tried to be friendly, but no one was in the mood for pleasantries. Arthur, on the other hand, wore an expression that matched many of the merpeople's. He glowered and eyed them suspiciously as the guards holding tridents surrounded us. I was glad he didn't pull out his own weapon strapped tightly around his waist. The last thing we needed was some kind of altercation before we could get any information.

"Who are you, and how did you get here?" one of the guards asked. He had a deep blue tail and wore a helmet shaped like a sea serpent that covered a lot of his face, but I still recognized him.

"Ray? Is that you?"

"(Y/n)? My tides, (y/n)! What happened to you?" He lifted the visor on his helmet to get a better look.

"It's a long story," I said quietly.

"You have to come with me! We have to tell Dad..." He stopped short when he remembered my companions. "Who are they, (y/n)?"

"Um, well..." I turned around to look at my motley group. "It's hard to explain." Ray narrowed his eyes. "But they're friends! You can trust them," I said backtracking.

"Hmm...okay." He eyed them warily, but didn't ask anymore questions. Ray leaned over and whispered something to one of the other guards, who nodded and signaled for the others to let us through.

I followed my brother as he led a path through the civilian crowd. They seemed surprised that we weren't skewered, and some even had looks of recognition on their faces. I wasn't known well throughout the city, but I knew there would be people I knew here. It was only a matter of time.

"Who is that guy, (y/n)?"

"My brother," I whispered back to Alfred.

"Oh, so he's not going to kill us?"

"I hope not."

I didn't expect Ray to be part of our welcome party, but it was probably for the best that he was. Or at least I hoped. He hadn't said enough for me to decide whether he was going to take us to our house or straight to jail. It was hard to tell with my brother. He was extremely loyal to his duties, but he was also a typical doting older brother.

"Ray, I-"

"Not here," he said quietly.

I kept my mouth shut and followed him as the buildings began to look familiar. This was my neighborhood. I had to hold back the urge to hug Ray. He wasn't taking us to jail after all. Our house came into view as we turned the corner, and I pushed past my brother to get inside. The door swung open easily and reveled a cozy front room.

"Dad? Dad?" I called into the house.

"(Y/n)? Is that really you? Did they finally find you?" My father swam into the room with excitement written all over his weathered face. Light gleamed off his blue tail, which was the same hue as my brother's as he slowed to a halt in front of me. "Oh, my darling."

"Hi, Daddy," I whispered. My eyes stung as tears pricked the corners and mixed with the sea water.

"What happened to you?" I could tell he was trying to keep the anguish out of his voice, but it didn't quite work.

"I'm sorry I-"

"You!" My father's voice thundered around the room. "It was you! I can sense the heart-bond between you and my daughter!" He pointed a finger threateningly at Arthur, who is standing behind Ray in the doorway. "I ought to spear you where you stand, human!" He spat out the last word as if it were the most disgusting thing he had ever spoken.

"No, Dad, please-"

"You wouldn't dare."

Everyone turned to stare at Arthur. He stood with his arms crossed and stared down my father. A smug smirk had tugged his lips up cockily, and my father quirked an eyebrow.

"What makes you say that, little man?"

Arthur's large eyebrows twitched in annoyance, but he didn't let it color his voice. "As you said, we have a heart-bond. You spear me, you spear her."

My father contemplated his words. The anger slowly left his face and was replaced by calm curiosity. "You speak well, human. I take it from your dress you are a pirate, no?"

"Captain Arthur Kirkland at your service," Arthur said with a flourish.

"Hmm, how casually you throw your name around. I assume that is what got you in trouble in the first place."

Arthur didn't have a response for that. In the meantime, Ray had ushered the others into the house and closed the door. "The Guard caught them as they entered the city. I sent the others away, but there is no doubt the Council will hear about this. There were too many witnesses."

"You have committed a grave crime by coming here," my father said to me. "You understand the consequences will be severe."

"Yes, but I had to," I argued. "I don't have any idea where to go to fix this." I gestured to the lower half of my body.

"I've heard stories but never..." He shook his head. "This is unprecedented."

"Then what do I do?"

"You must go to the Council."

"WHAT?!" Several voices bounced around the room.

"That's crazy, (y/n)!" Alfred said from the sea sponge couch. "You can't do that! He just said they'd punish you!"

My father stared with wide eyes. "That human knows your name."

"Well, you were yelling it when I arrived, but yeah, they know. And they may have heard Ray's name too, but they wouldn't dare try anything," I said with a pointed look at Arthur. "They wouldn't want to be bad guests."

"Nothing up my sleeves," Arthur said as he put his hands up. "I want to clear this up just as much as anyone else here."

"So you say..." my father mumbled into his gray beard.

"Everyone calm down," I said in exasperation. "We need to figure out what to do."

Just as I said that, a knock came from the door. My father slowly swam to it and swung it open. Several men stood in the doorway and talked with low voices. The conversation lasted for only a minute, but my father looked the worse for wear afterwards. He closed the door and joined us in silence.

"It would appear that the Council has heard of your return and wish to speak with you," he said after a long pause.

"You have to leave, (y/n)! You have to get out of here before they can do something to you!" Ray said urgently.

"No." I shook my head. "If Father thinks the Council holds the answer, I have to go." I continued before my brother could interrupt. "And I couldn't stand it if you lost your place in the Guard because you helped me escape. This is the only way."

"What about your friends? What if the Council wants to execute them?"

"Well..." I looked at the three pirates sitting next to each other on the couch.

"We're with you to the end!" Alfred said as he stood up. "I owe you, (y/n)."

A smile spread across my face at his determination. I couldn't have imagined such loyalty from anyone a few weeks ago. My mind turned to Peter, Sqeaker, and James. I had friends counting on me.

"Thank you, Alfred."

"One human won't make a difference," Ray said with a sigh. "They're the reason you're in this mess."

"Be that as it may, a pirate never backs down from a challenge." Arthur stood beside Alfred and looked me directly in the eyes.

"Well, looks like we're all in agreem'nt then," Christov added with a nod. My dolphin whistled excitedly.

"Alright." I smile at my companions. "Looks like we have a Council to meet."

There aren't any preparations to make, so we were ready to leave at once. I was the one of the last to leave the house, but my father stopped me before I could exit the door. He pulled me back into the front room before explaining what he was up to.

"My child, I cannot shake the feeling that I will not see you for a very long time." He lifted my chin up to look into my eyes. "You look just like your mother, dear one."

"Oh, Daddy..." I hugged him tightly, afraid to let go.

"I have something I wish to give you," he murmured in my ear. "It was something your mother gave me long ago, but I want you to have it."

"What is it?"

My father exited the room briefly and returned carrying something small in his large hands. "Your mother made this for me when we were first married. Mermaid hair contains many magical properties, and I hope it will bring you luck wherever you may go."

He gently laid the object into my hands. It was a thin chord that appeared to be made of braided silver, but I knew better. Mermaid hair changed color after it was cut. Some turned dull browns or blacks while others turned funny colors like green or pink. My mother was one of the lucky few whose hair turned metallic when cut.

"Thank you." My voice shook with emotion as I fastened the chord around my neck with the clever clips on the ends.

"Now go, my child. The Council awaits."

It was a silent swim to the large building in the center of the city where the Council met. We were surrounded by armed guards the entire way there, which made me nervous. The only thing that kept me from panicking was Ray swimming beside me and Arthur on my other side. Both radiated a cool calmness that was infectious. Even Alfred was able to stay calm.

More guards met us at the Council Building and quickly herded us to the room where the Council sat waiting, but wouldn't allow Ray to go with us. I hugged him quickly before being quickly pushed along. Large double doors made of colorful coral stood dauntingly in front of us, and opened to reveal a round room with high tiered seats around the perimeter of the room. I had never been here before, but I was stunned at its magnificence. The floor was made of small gleaming tiles that depicted some sort of ocean scene, and the walls behind the Council members were also covered in tiled images. A large chandelier covered in glowing crystals hung from the ceiling and filled the room with bright light. It was strangely beautiful.

The giant doors closed behind us as someone began to talk. "The traitor and three humans enter among the Council for judgment. What says the Council?"

"Wait!" From the looks on their faces, I wasn't the only one surprised to hear myself speak. "Please hear me out! I came to hear the Council's wisdom and find an answer for my problem."

"Silence!" shouted a fat merman. "You have betrayed the merpeople by bringing humans among us! You will receive no help from us!"

"Peace. I wish to hear what she has to say," said an older merman to the fat one. "It is rare for a fallen mermaid to return."

"Rare?" My mind spun. "Has this happened before."

"Only once," he replied. "Many thousands of years ago. Long before humans sailed the seas and plagued our people. It was an accident, but she still paid dearly. Death is the only outcome for a mermaid who has lost her tail."

Ice froze along my spine. "O-only death...?"

"Don't scare the poor girl." Another merman spoke up. He was much younger than the other two, and smiled kindly at me. "That other mermaid may have died, but that doesn't mean you will as well. Unlike her, you have companions."

"That's right!" Alfred stepped forward. "I'm going to fight to save (y/n) no matter what!"

A rumbling of uneasiness passed through the Council members. Some looked outraged while others chatted excitedly. Someone blew a conch horn to regain peace, and silence filled the room one more.

"The Council has only one piece of advice for you." An older mermaid spoke from my left. "Your best hope may be to find the lost people of Luxspar. They have dealt with stranger things in the past than a mermaid losing her tail."

"Luxspar?" Arthur spoke up for the first time. "The Lunar Islands are a myth. They don't actually exist."

"That is what the humans have been lead to believe, but the merfolk remember," she said. "You must find them before your ocean magic runs out. Once it does, you will die."

"I understand," I replied gravely.

"What's ocean magic?" Alfred asked no one in particular.

"Perhaps you will find out if you make it out alive." The fat merman had a twisted smile on his face that filled me with dread. "This mermaid still committed treason by bringing humans here, and she and her companions will have to be punished accordingly."

"What?" Arthur grit his teeth with disdain.

"I am afraid he is right," agreed the old merman with a sigh. "They have already sent for your executioners. I am very sorry."

"Executioners?" Arthur hissed him my ear.

Suddenly, something heavy slammed against the coral doors. I tried to swallow back my terror. "Sharks."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to all my fans and those who are new to my stories :) I'd like to thank all of you for your support up to this point. I'm enjoying where this is going, and I hope you are too :D I'm just stopping in to let everyone know that I may not be able to update a chapter next week because I will be touring England with my marching band. *backs away in case of jealous fans* I'll answer a few questions I'm sure some of you have. Yes, I will look for Arthur Kirkland while I am there. Yes, I will be looking for the rumored blue police box there for some avid Whovian friends of mine. And yes, I will update if it is at all within my power. If I do not get the opportunity, I apologize ahead of time. So, without further ado, please enjoy this next chapter :3

Alfred and Christov paled noticeably. Arthur was the only one that held his composure, but his lips pressed together into a tight line. I could tell he was already coming up with some kind of plan. We weren't allowed to dwell on it for long, however, because the Council began to talk again.

"You will be given a short head start, so please try not to get caught in the building. It would be inconvenient to have to clean up all that blood..."

"Inconvenient..." Arthur growled. His hand strayed toward his cutlass, but he didn't draw it. "Do you have a plan?" he hissed at me.

"Other than swim like crazy? No."

"Useless..." he mumbled and shook his head. "How fast can your dolphin swim?"

"Fast," I assured him.

"Good. Have him take Christov and the kid out of here."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine. I'm a pirate, love. I never stay caught for long." A crazy smile appeared on his face as he drew his weapon. "Just don't do anything stupid."

"Gee, thanks."

I turned to my dolphin and explained everything in a low voice. He nodded once and nudged me sadly. I pet his snout affectionately. If there was anyone that I could trust to take care of my friends, it was him. And yes, they were my friends because I've never had anyone stand up for me the way they have.

"Ready?" Arthur's green eyes locked onto mine.

"Yes," I answered.

"Open the doors!"

"GO!" Arthur roared.

Alfred and Christov went shooting through the doorway clinging to my little dolphin. I took off after them with as much speed as I could muster. The sharks were chained by the door and snapped at me as I swam past. Their beady eyes followed me hungrily, and I tried not to think about how their teeth would feel sinking into my legs or arms.

"(Y/n)! Hurry!" Alfred shouted. He and Chrstov were already far ahead of me.

"Wait..." I turned to look for Arthur.

He was slowly following behind me while keeping his eyes on the sharks. The beasts seemed to sense the approach of the bigger threat and averted their eyes to the pirate. They strained against the metal collars around their necks, which shimmered with some sort of magic. I wasn't surprised. These sharks were massive, and there was no way ordinary chains could hold them.

Their jaws opened wide in anticipation. They could have easily swallowed one of us with one bite, but I had the feeling they preferred to mangle their prey instead. Something about the bloodthirsty glint in their eyes told me that. That, and the definitely malicious thoughts radiating from their minds. I was never particularly fond of sharks, and these were no exception.

"Release the executioners!"

Time seemed to slow as the collars around the hungry beasts dissolved into sea foam. They beelined straight for Arthur, and he met them with a hungry expression of his own. Unless the pirate had some kind of supernatural powers I didn't know about, he was about to become a pile of bloody chum.

My body moved without my consent. There was only one thought on my mind. "Arthur, nooooooooo!"

* * *

Some kind of cry sounded in the distance, but the Captain couldn't really make it out. All he could hear was the sound of his blood rushing and thumping in his ears. That was perfectly fine with him because he didn't want to hear what awful kinds of sounds sharks made when they tore someone to shreds.

He had volunteered to stay behind as decoy, but the truth of the matter was he had no plan as to what came after that. Sure, drawing his blade seemed like the right thing to do, but what good was that against at least three sharks intent on making him their lunch? Arthur almost smirked. He really should stop being witty in life threatening situations and a little quicker on his feet. Or in the water in this case.

The pirate raised his cutlass. He didn't know if he could do any real damage, but it was better than being eaten. The first shark didn't even slow down as it approached Arthur. He barely sidestepped and used its momentum to cut a long gash from its mouth to its pectoral fin. A bright red cloud grew in the water as blood mixed with the sea. This seemed to throw the other sharks off, and gave the Captain a perfect window of opportunity to escape.

A pirate's got to do what a pirate's got to do, and sometimes that meant running away. He sheathed his blade and swam away from the sharks as fast as he could. Wet clothing didn't make for easy swimming, but Arthur couldn't dump his heavy coat. There were too many important things tucked away in its various pockets. However, some of those things were not useful, so he pulled out two revolvers, a compass, and a knife to drop as he swam. He did hold onto his gold though.

Someone pulled up beside him, and it took the Captain a moment to realize it was the mermaid. "Are you a bloody idiot? I told you to go ahead!"

"I couldn't leave you behind!"

"I said I could manage!"

"I was worried!"

"Well, don't be! I'm a pirate! We take care of ourselves!"

"Look out!"

Just then one of the sharks came out of nowhere and almost got a mouthful of Arthur's head. If it weren't for the mermaid, he would have been a goner. By now they were out of the Council Building and swimming through the city. The other sharks weren't far behind, and Arthur was out of clever tricks to pull out of his hat.

"What were you saying about pirates taking care of themselves?"

"Shut up," he grumbled. "You're awfully calm for someone being hunted by sharks."

"Yeah, I guess I am."

This made the Captain hopeful. "Got a plan then?"

"No."

Arthur swore rather loudly. "Then what are you doing coming back for me?"

"I told you, I was worried. But I think I may have a plan now."

The streets were all empty as the merpeople all hid in their houses to avoid being mistaken as the ones to be executed. Arthur paused as the girl filled him in on what she was thinking. His lips pressed together tightly the further she got in her half-baked plan.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"What other choice do we have?"

"And what if you don't make it?"

"Then you won't have to worry about me anymore."

Captain Kirkland's eyes darkened. As annoying as she was, he didn't want that to happen. It didn't even have to do with their connection. He just didn't want anything to happen to the mermaid. The thought was almost laughable, but he couldn't deny it.

"(Y/n), that's not how-"

"No time! Head for the exit!"

She pushed him away as a shark spotted them in the distance. It swam toward her with eagerness, but Arthur couldn't watch what was going on. He was too busy gritting his teeth as he swam away.

* * *

My mind decided to abandon ship as the shark closed in on me, which left me about as responsive as a sea cucumber. Somehow, I regained conscious control of myself hardly a moment before a large pair of jaws snapped where my feet once were. It would have been much faster to outrun a giant, bloodthirsty shark with a tail, but even then I wouldn't have been able to stay ahead.

My only true advantage was my ability to maneuver quickly in the water. Because of their size, the sharks had a much tougher time changing direction once they got going. That didn't mean they were easy to escape. Two more sharks joined the first, and I was constantly dodging to keep any part of me from becoming fish food. I just prayed that Arthur had made it to the exit.

Once I figured enough time had passed, I swam in the direction of the exit too. The sharks would be too big to fit through the tunnel, and I would be home free. Weaving around the last big of sea grass, I shot straight for the tunnel and made it inside before being nabbed by rows of razor teeth. It felt good to take a quick breather before continuing on my way. I had nothing to worry about now except getting back to the ship.

Boy, was I wrong.

I could tell there was something amiss the moment I exited the tunnel. The sea floor was much too quiet. There were no fish darting around between the coral and anemones. Dread pooled in my stomach. It wasn't possible the sharks made it out here, was it?

The answer came sooner than I liked.

"Swim! Hurry, (y/n)! Swim!" Alfred was shouting and waving from a distance, but my dolphin and Christov were nowhere to be see.

"Alfred? What's going-"

"Move, idiot!"

Someone tackled me back into the tunnel just as something large and gray streaked past. It was a shark. I looked up to see Arthur pressing me against the hard ground breathing heavily. His face was so close to mind that I almost leaned up to kiss him. Almost.

"Somehow the sharks made it outside," he said without realizing what kind of position we were in.

"S-so I noticed."

"They only stray so far from the island, so Christov and the kid are safe."

"That's good to hear."

"Got any more brilliant ideas?"

"We could start with you getting off me."

"Oh...right." Arthur quickly scrambled off me with a slight hint of red on his cheeks.

"I actually do have one more trick," I said as I stood up. "But it's dangerous."

"How dangerous?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"You just have to promise to swim away as fast as you can."

"But what are you planning on-"

"Promise!"

"Fine!" He sighed. "I promise, happy?"

"Yes. Now, swim when I say so. Ready. Set."

"But what-"

"GO!"

We both shot out of the cave like frightened tuna. Arthur swam away while I swam up to meet the sharks. They grinned with sharp teeth, and a few even opened their mouths like they expected me to just swim inside. As if. Instead, I stopped a good distance away and focused. Focused on the push and pull of the ocean, the rising and falling of the tides. If I tried hard enough, I could still feel the immense force of the ocean around me.

"I hope you're all ready for some fun," I murmured to the sharks.

Their thoughts became confused, but their goal was still to eat me as messily as possible. I wasn't about to let that happen. Water began to swirl around me as I harnessed the power of the mighty ocean. It wasn't the first time I had manipulated the sea, but this time was different. Instead of feeling an infinite supply of power, I felt like I was being drained. I wouldn't be able to keep this up for long.

"Come and get it," I growled as the sharks charged. That was when I released a full blown whirlpool around me.

* * *

It was faint, but Arthur felt a slight disturbance in the water. He had promised the mermaid to swim on without her, and he really didn't want to break that promise. It was not gentleman like. Yet as a nagging feeling in the back of his head grew, he found it harder to keep that promise. Finally, he turned around to get a quick peek of what was going on, and his stomach dropped.

There was a gigantic whirlpool in the exact spot he had left the girl not even a minute ago. The sharks were in chaos as they tried to keep from getting sucked into the swirling vortex. But where was the mermaid? He looked for her without success. If she was still there, she was in the whirlpool.

"(Y/n)."

The Captain was about to go back for her, but he stopped. He could leave now and forget this whole thing ever happened. Sure, there was that whole heart-bond to worry about, but if the mermaid wasn't dead yet she would probably be fine. This was Arthur's chance to leave this whole mess behind and pretend like it never happened. He was so tempted to do it, but her words came back to him.

" _I was worried._ "

And so he was too. There was part of him that was anxious to get the girl back to safety aboard his ship. He didn't know if it was their connection, magic, delusions, or what. The most important thing now was to find her, and not leave until he did. The Captain sighed as he took off back toward the mountain. She was going to owe him big time for this.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone :) I'm doing fine here in England, and I'm in London now so I'll make sure to look out for Iggy ;) Here's another chapter. Please enjoy! :D

I stretched luxuriously and enjoyed the feeling of something silky and warm around me. That wasn't right. My eyes flew open and I sat up straight. The sudden movement made my head spin slightly, and I had to take a few deep breaths to settle myself. Once I was feeling steady, I took a good look around. I was in Arthur's room.

"How are you feeling?"

I turned quickly to my left. Arthur was sitting in a chair next to the bed I was lying in and watched me closely. His deep green eyes were observant and calculating as usual, but there was something else in their mysterious depths. Worry.

"I, um...how did I get here? What happened?"

He sighed. "I had to pull you out of the center of that vortex. Did you do that?"

"Yeah." I nodded. It was my desperate attempt to get away from our executioners. "How did you get me out?"

"It wasn't easy," Arthur grumbled. "Almost couldn't pull you out, especially since you were unconscious. How did you make something so bloody big?"

I bit my bottom lip. It would probably be best to tell him everything I've deduced since we met with my father and the Council. "I made it with something called ocean magic. The merfolk can use two kinds of magic, ocean and mermagic. Mermagic is rather limited in its uses, and there's only so much I can use at once. Ocean magic has a much wider range of uses, and it's practically unlimited in how much I can use."

Arthur listened intently. "So that's what the Council meant by ocean magic. If that's the case, why did they say you would die if you ran out? You just said it's unlimited."

"Normally it is, but ever since I lost my fin..." I swallowed. "Ever since then I've been cut off from the ocean, I can't tap into its magic supply, so the only ocean magic I have is what I had before I was cut off. It doesn't naturally accumulate like mermagic."

The pirate's eyes darkened. He stood up from his chair and took a few steps before speaking again. "You endangered your life to save us. If you had used up all of your ocean magic, you would be dead. I would be too..."

"I'm sorry. It's a risk I had to take. I didn't mean to put your life at risk too. I wasn't thinking..." It was true. The thought that I might have killed Arthur never crossed my mind. All I could think about was getting him back to his ship alive.

I was suddenly surprised by his hand tilting my chin up. "Never put yourself in danger like that again."

My bottom lip quivered. "I w-won't." How could I have been so stupid? I didn't want to be responsible for Arthur's death.

He didn't move his hand, but his eyes dropped to the floor. "If anything were to happen to you...I..."

"I know," I whispered on the brink of tears. "You'd die too."

That caught his attention. He met my eyes with such an intense gaze that I felt kind of uncomfortable. "What? No! That's not what I meant! I just..." His jaw tightened, and his cheeks flushed. "I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you, (y/n). You drive me crazy, you're annoying, and you're incredibly infuriating, but I need you."

It wasn't obvious, but I was pretty sure there was a compliment in there somewhere. Arthur let my chin drop and turned away from me. All I could see was his broad back, clenched fists, and unruly blonde hair. My heart skipped. What was this feeling welling up inside me? I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew that Arthur was someone I wanted to protect. Was this what people called love?

"Arthur-"

I was cut off by his lips pressed against mine. They were warm, fierce, and surprisingly soft. I didn't make it a habit to fantasize about kissing Arthur, but I didn't think his lips would be this warm and alive. His hand tangled itself in my hair by my ear, and he pulled me closer to deepen the kiss. I imagined this is what flying felt like. I grabbed the front of his jacket to pull him closer, even though there was no way our faces could be any closer than they already were.

His tongue teased my lips as if asking for entrance, but I didn't let him in. I've never kissed anyone before, and wasn't sure what to do. My initial feeling of ecstasy was beginning to fade into panic. I was kissing Arthur Kirkland, a pirate captain! Was this even allowed? I started to feel kind of light headed, and before I could react I blacked out.

~000~

A soft whimper escaped me as I felt myself waking up. Sleep was so nice, and I didn't want to leave. I was having the best dream about a handsome man confessing his feelings and then kissing me. Soft sheets wrinkled as I shifted my position. Why did that man seem so familiar? His hair, his eyes, his hands. I remembered them from somewhere.

Arthur.

My eyes shot open. I was still lying in his bed surrounded by silky sheets, fluffy pillows, and a large comforter. Maybe it wasn't a dream after all, and if that was the case I could never talk to him again. My face heated up as my heart clenched. Oh tides, what have I done?

"There's no point pretending you're still asleep."

I reluctantly sat up at the sound of Arthur's voice. He was now sitting at his desk instead of beside the bed. I couldn't believe he was so calm after what just happened. Or maybe it was a while ago. I had no idea how long I had been out.

"Is it morning?"

He pulled something out of an interior jacket pocket. "Technically, yes. It won't be light for another few hours though."

"What is that?" I asked curiously, my previous apprehension forgotten.

"A pocket watch. Come see for yourself."

Carefully, I slipped out of bed and padded over to his side. He held up a strange silver contraption that fit comfortably in my palm. I ran my thumb over its beautifully carved surface and pushed a small button like I had seen Arthur do earlier. The outside surface popped open to reveal some kind of mechanism with human numbers and moving pieces. I held it up to my ear and heard a faint ticking.

"It has a heart!" I gasped.

Arthur smiled wryly. "No, not quite." He took the pocket watch and slipped it back into his jacket with only a silver chain left visible.

An unnerving silence settled between us. I wanted to say something to him about the kiss, but I couldn't find the words. Instead, I looked at the random assortment of things on the pirate's desk. There were several things I had never seen before, and a few I was familiar with. That's when something caught my eye.

"Who is this?" I picked up a framed photograph of a woman before he could stop me. Photographs were not something the merpeople had, but I had heard of them before.

Arthur sighed, and I felt a stabbing pain in my heart. "My mother," he answered softly.

"She's gone, isn't she?"

"Yes."

"Mine too."

He looked up at me quickly in surprise, and I smiled sadly. His eyes were full of pain, but something else too. There was a mutual understanding between us. A bond. Much more than the magical bond I forged between us. This one was genuine and infinitely more powerful.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

I shook my head. "I was so young when it happened that I hardly remember her. Dad says I look like her, but I don't know." I laughed, but there was no joy in it. "You look like her, you know."

"No, I don't." Arthur looked back to the papers he was writing on. "I look nothing like her. Only like the man who drove her away."

"That's not true. You have her composure and determination." I set the picture back down on the desk. "I can see her fire in your eyes."

"Well, it wasn't enough to keep her around." He placed his face in his hands. "She ran away with another man, and I looked too much like my father that she didn't bring me with. Her disappearance made him worse, and soon I was left by myself. I'll never forgive him for that, or the man that stole her from me."

"Arthur..." I reached out to comfort him, but I stopped. What could I do to make him better?

My heart ached within my chest, and I placed a hand over it to try keep it from falling apart. His pain was so much worse than anything I've ever experienced. How was I supposed to ease pain like that? I took a few steps closer and did the only thing I could think of.

He didn't react as I slipped my arms around his chest. Then I softly rested my chin in the crook between his neck and shoulder, but I didn't say a word. We shared that moment in complete silence. I couldn't say for sure if what I did helped, but he didn't tell me to leave, and that was good enough for me.

Without warning, Arthur unwrapped himself from my arms and stood. "We're setting a new course for the Southern Continent."

His hands lingered on mine for a moment before he dropped them and walked to the door. He slipped through the threshold without another word leaving me alone, but I didn't mind. The pain in his heart had lessened, and that was good enough for me.

* * *

The Captain paused after exiting his private quarters. He knew it was ungentlemanly to walk out on a lady like that, but he didn't know what else to do. There were so many emotions swirling inside his chest that he didn't know what to feel. It was so unlike him. He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. It's become a norm lately for Arthur to not be in complete control of what was going on.

He released the air he was holding onto and began to walk to the helm after opening his eyes. That was the one place he felt like he was always in control of something. On his way, he passed Christov monitoring activity on the deck. It was still dark, but there were still as many men bustling around as if it were noon. A pirate's day starts early.

"G'mornin', Cap'n," Christov greeted.

"Yes, good morning. Tell the men to prepare the ship to sail."

"An' where would we be goin'?"

"Okonfo. It's the closest, and I have someone I want to consult."

"Aye aye, Cap'n."

The first mate took his leave and allowed Arthur to continue to the helm. He took hold of the wheel and watched his crew scramble below him on the deck. Sails rose and filled as the men did their work, and the Captain turned the ship to the east. A strong wind propelled the Queen Lady toward the sun just beginning to peek over the watery horizon.

Arthur felt calm for the first time in a long time. Maybe everything will work out for the best. Doubt gnawed at the Captain's stomach at the thought. There were so many things that could go wrong, and the price for failure was high. So high in fact, that failure was not an option. For the sake of his heart, Arthur wouldn't fail.

* * *

It had been a while since Arthur left, so I thought it was about time I went to my own room. I silently crept out of his room and headed for the stairs leading below deck. My mind was still reeling from what had happened between me and Arthur that I didn't notice someone coming up the stairs until it was too late.

"Woah there!" Alfred caught me before I could fall over. "Hey! It's (y/n)! You know, you gotta stop running into me like this."

"Sorry, Alfred!" I smiled in embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it," he said with a wave. "I gotta get going though. I slept in kinda late, and they need all hands on deck. We're setting sail!"

"Where to?"

"Beats me." He shrugged nonchalantly and turned to go.

"Wait, Alfred! I need to talk to you about something!"

"Tell me later!" he called over his shoulder. He waved once and was gone.

"That kid," I murmured with a shake of my head.

I continued down the stairs to go to my room. A few minutes later I was lying on my bed thinking about what had all happened in the last day. I had gone home, got banished, was chased by sharks, made a whirlpool, and kissed Arthur.

Arthur.

My mind went back to the moment where his lips claimed mine with gentle urgency. I wondered if he ever kissed anyone else like that. My heart ached. It may have been selfish, but I hoped not. I shook my head and sighed. I sounded so human. This was a really dangerous position I had put myself in. Not only did the heart-bond put me in danger, but so did my growing feelings for Arthur. Mermaids weren't supposed to fall in love with humans.

I stopped that train of thought before it could go any further. Why bother pursing this when I had no clue whether it would go anywhere? One kiss was an invitation, not a promise. It was up to me whether to accept or not, and I didn't know what to do. Maybe it was the heart-bond making me feel this way. These might just be his feelings being transferred to me. I took comfort in the thought. I was already in way too deep to be digging myself a deeper hole.

Suddenly, a new thought made itself known. I sat up and lightly hopped off my bed. The fish charm I had received from Ojigwa was still safely tucked inside the chest at the foot of my bed. I pulled it out and looked at it again. It didn't appear to have any special quality, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that it was important. I unclipped the chord around my neck and strung the charm on through the hole in its eye.

"Oh, mom..." I sighed and hooked the chord back around my neck. "I wish you could tell me what to do."

Of course there was no answer, so I turned to leave my room. No point in locking myself up. I left my room in search of Peter. If anyone could get my mind off my situation, it was him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello once again everyone :) I'm back from my trip now with a new chapter for all of you. I did see someone that looked an awful lot like Iggy, but I couldn't get a picture. We will never know for sure if that was him XD Anyway, it was a lot of fun, but I'm glad to be back. Thanks for all of your continued support, and here we go back to the story!

"Then ya pull on this bit 'ere an'..." James pulled on the rope in his hands. The growing knot decided it didn't really want to be a knot after all and fell apart. "Great slipp'ry eels! It don' usually do that."

"James, do you really know what you're doing?" Peter asked from beside me.

The three of us were sitting in a patch of shade on the deck, and James had been teaching us how to tie knots. Peter's knot had also fallen apart, and mine was doing a better job tangling me up than itself. I laughed at the frustrated look on the young boy's face and the confused expression on James'.

"Whatcha doin'?" Squeaker showed up with his usual mousey grin.

"Tying knots," Peter explained. "Or at least we're trying to."

"James is teaching us," I added.

"'Ere, lemme see that." I handed Squeaker my bit of rope, and he deftly tied it into a strong knot. "Ta dah!"

"Show me!" Peter pleaded excitedly. He watched closely while Squeaker demonstrated the knot again.

"Hey, don't worry about it," I said with a smile to James, who looked thoroughly upset. "You still beat me at cribbage all the time."

This made him smile. "Suppose yer right."

"How much longer until we get to the Southern Continent?" I asked as I stared at the horizon. We had been sailing for over two days, and there hadn't even been the slightest glimpse of land yet.

"We shoulda arrived early this mornin', but the winds just ain't as strong as usual," James answered with the slightest of frowns. "Don' worry yer purtty li'l head. We'll git there soon 'nough."

"I hope so." I gazed out over the clear blue sea as a gust of wind filled the sails momentarily before dying down. The wind hadn't been that strong lately, and it gave me a bad feeling. "I'm going to find Alfred," I told the other three as I stood up. They nodded in acknowledgement while still trying to tie knots.

I hadn't gotten the chance to speak with Alfred since I saw him a few days ago. He was too busy working the sails and such. Everyone was doing their best to get the Queen Lady moving, but she was reluctant. I figured now was as good a time as any to search for the energetic blonde. He wasn't on deck, so I thought I'd check down below. Turns out he had the same idea because I met him coming up just as I got to the stairs.

"Hey, (y/n)! Just the person I was looking for!" he said with a big grin.

"What a coincidence." I mirrored his smile. It was impossible not to smile around this kid. "Why don't we find a place to talk?"

"Sounds good to me!"

Alfred led the way to a sunny spot next to the starboard rail. He sat down and swung his legs over the edge, and I did the same. The weather had been a touch on the warm side, but it was still very pleasant with a slight breeze and cloudless skies. I took all of this in as he began talking.

"Here, I snatched some apples from the food stash." He handed me a bright red apple before taking a bite of his own. "Sho, wha wash it ya wanted t' talk about b'fore?"

I rolled my eyes at his attempt to talk with his mouth full. "Well, I wanted to ask you about your mom."

Alfred's smile faltered, and he swallowed slowly. "Why do you want to talk about that?"

I bit my lip. I wasn't sure what the best way to approach this was. "It's just...I saw a picture of someone that looked like you..." It sounded dumber out loud than it did in my head. I had noticed the resemblance between Alfred and Arthur's mother when I had seen the photograph, but it seemed like such a ridiculous coincidence that I didn't bother to ask Arthur at the time.

Alfred's eyebrows shot up. "Where did you see a picture? On the ship?"

I nodded. "I thought it might just be a coincidence, but I'm not sure. That's why I asked...about your mom."

He looked out over the ocean and answered so quietly I almost didn't hear it. "She's dead."

I recalled a similar response from Arthur not too long ago. The pieces were slowly starting to fit together. "I'm sorry to hear that. The thing is, the picture was of Arthur's mom, and he said she was dead too."

"The Captain?" Alfred's blue eyes met mine curiously. "But why would he-" Something seemed to click in his head. "Wait. You don't think..."

"I do."

There was a long silence as he turned away to watch the ocean waves below us. A cool spray occasionally flew up and wet the tips of my toes. I never bothered to wear any shoes since they were the most uncomfortable things I had ever had the misfortune of wearing, so the bottoms of my feet were black with dirt. It was probably about time I washed them.

"She talked about him all the time."

Alfred's words brought me back to the conversation at hand. "What?"

"Mom. She always talked about her darling Arthur, and how she would never forgive herself for leaving him behind. I never knew what she was talking about until now." He chuckled humorlessly. "To think I had a brother this whole time."

"Do you know what happened? Why didn't she take him?" I asked.

"All I know is that she was married to someone before she met my old man, but he was a drunk that treated her like garbage. Then she met my dad and decided to run away with him." He shook his head. "I never realized that I had a brother. Well, a half brother. Crazy world, huh?"

"Yeah." I lowered my gaze. Humans led such complicated lives, and now I was tangled up in it worse than most humans were. "Arthur doesn't know."

Alfred's blue eyes darkened. "How am I supposed to tell him something like this? He already hates me as it is." The blonde sighed loudly and laid down on the deck. He covered his eyes with an arm and murmured to himself. "Always wanted a brother...just my luck."

"Hey, cheer up." I poked his cheek with my finger. "You don't have to tell him. I'll do it." Dread pooled in my stomach as I said the words. I hadn't talked to Arthur since our kiss, and it wasn't something I was particularly looking forward to doing, but it was too late to back down now.

Alfred moved his arm to look at me. "Really, (y/n)? You'd do that?"

"Sure." I smiled at him. "If you think it'll help."

He sat up quickly. "You're the best, (y/n)!" Then he did something unexpected. He pulled me close and placed a kiss on my forehead. "I gotta get going before someone puts me on bathroom duty! See ya later!" He was up and gone before I could react.

My hand slowly reached up to the place where his lips had been just moments before. I couldn't think. Everything was a jumbled mess inside my head. It wasn't like when Arthur kissed me. That had been warm, passionate, and full of longing. This was soft, fast, and completely unexpected. I didn't even realize what was happening until it was over.

Heat rushed up my face, and my cheeks burned bright red. I wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or violated. My heart beat quickly in my chest as I tried to make sense of what was going on. I hardly knew how I felt about Arthur, much less Alfred. It was quickly becoming apparent why mermaids weren't supposed to interact with humans. They're unpredictable, dangerous, and all too irresistible.

I looked down at the apple still clutched between my hands, but my appetite was completely gone. Sunlight glinted off its shiny red skin making it look more cheerful than I felt. I stood up with a sigh to find three people I knew would be hungry. Maybe they could take my mind off everything going wrong.

* * *

Captain Kirkland was furious. Or maybe he was heartbroken. Maybe it was both. It was so hard to tell these days. He had just witnessed something so outrageous that he wouldn't have believed it unless he had seen it with his own eyes, which he had. There was a small part of Arthur's conscious that knew he was being silly, but he couldn't help it.

Watching Alfred kiss the mermaid nearly pushed him over the edge.

At first, he wasn't sure if he actually saw what he thought he saw, but the blush that quickly colored the girl's face confirmed it. The Captain didn't want to make his presence known, so he quietly slipped into his private quarters. After that, he was at a loss. Should he throw Alfred overboard, or beat him to a bloody pulp? The pirate quickly decided against both because that would require him revealing that he had witnessed their little exchange, which was something he was still coming to terms with himself. No, he would hold onto this information for now.

Arthur collapsed heavily into his desk chair. Why had fate decided to destroy his once pleasant life, and then spit in his face? He buried his head in his arms, which were on the desk, and moaned loudly. Life was a like a fickle lover. However, there was one thing that gave him comfort. The mermaid hadn't looked particularly pleased after the brat's lips graced her forehead. In fact, she looked just as confused as Arthur felt about the whole thing.

The Captain hated to admit it, but he had no idea where he and the mermaid stood. She hadn't fought his advances, but she hasn't spoken to him since either. Did he even want her like that? He didn't know.

"What a right bloody mess this is..."

He sighed and peeked up at the paperwork on his desk. Usually, balancing his ledger calmed him, but he wasn't in the mood. All he could think about was that insolent brat kissing his mermaid. The Captain shook his head. No, she wasn't his. He had no right to feel that way. She didn't want to be an object, and he had decided he was no longer going to treat her as such. If that meant she picked Alfred in the end, so be it.

At least, that's what Arthur wanted to think.

A groan of frustration rumbled in his throat as he put his head down again. He hated that she spent so much time with that kid and not with him. What did that brat have that the Captain didn't? He almost got up to find the mermaid and demand that she stop talking to the little git, but stopped himself. He had a better plan. He would make her see just how much she really needed him instead.

Arthur laughed. It was a plan only a cunning pirate like himself could have schemed. He chuckled darkly. This was going to be interesting.


	16. Chapter 16

"Laaaaaaaand ho!"

Several heads turned as skinny little Squeaker yelled from his perch in the crow's nest. It was still a ways off, but there was a distinct form on the horizon that couldn't be anything other than the Southern Continent. Some of the men leaned over the starboard rail with suggestive grins on their grimy faces. Arthur rolled his eyes as he thought about the multitudes of mistresses his crew must have had. That was not a practice for a gentleman like him.

He stood at the helm and turned the wheel ever so slightly, but the Queen Lady responded by turning widely to the right. The fishing village of Okonfo was on the shore the ship was quickly approaching, and that was the Captain's destination. Luckily for him, the wind had picked up late last night, and they were able to cover a large distance overnight. It would have been a perfect day on the sea if it weren't for one thing.

"Hey, (y/n)! Was that a land ho?" That infuriating whelp Alfred had appeared from the stairs and approached the mermaid.

"Yup," she answered with a brilliant smile. "We're almost there."

"Cool." Alfred leaned on the port railing with his elbows. "This is what I've dreamed of for so long."

"Going to the Southern Continent?"

"Well, kind of." He turned face the mermaid with a wistful look that made Arthur grind his teeth together. No one should be allowed to look at her like that. Except for the Captain of course. "I've always wanted to see new places, travel the ocean, meet new people, maybe find someone to settle down with."

The young man's eyes grew intense, and the mermaid shifted uncomfortably. "This must be your dream come true then."

"Totally."

Arthur didn't realize how tightly he was gripping the wheel until he had to pry his hands off to keep his hat from blowing away. The wind was becoming vicious, and he didn't like what that could mean. It could be a harmless windstorm passing through, or it could be much, much worse.

"What kind of dreams do you have, (y/n)?"

Captain Kirkland looked down at the two curiously. He knew it wasn't gentlemanly to eavesdrop, but he couldn't help himself. The conversation was becoming increasingly more interesting.

"I never really had a dream," she answered with a far away look. "But now my dream is to go back to normal."

"I'm sure you can do it," Alfred assured with a smile, and the mermaid smiled in reply.

"Christov," Arthur greeted his first mate without taking his eyes off the pair on deck. "Take the helm."

"Y-yes, Cap'n." Christov seemed taken aback by the Captain's terse tone.

Arthur walked down the stairs to the deck and called everyone to gather. It took a while for everyone to assemble, but he waited patiently with his arms crossed. His emerald eyes scanned the crowd. He paused for just a moment when he met the mermaid's gaze, but he didn't allow himself to linger. He almost smirked in a self-satisfactory way when he saw the corner of her lips pull down into a slight frown from the corner of his eyes.

"I'm sure you've all heard that we'll be landing soon," the Captain said to his crew. "I'll be needing a small landing party to accompany me, but the rest of you are free to do a you wish while I'm gone. Well, except the group that has to stay behind to watch the ship."

There were loud groans from the men.

"Quiet, you mangey lot!" Arthur's large eyebrows twitched in annoyance. "Or maybe you'd all like to stay behind and scrub the ship clean from top to bottom, eh?"

That got everyone to be quiet.

"That's what I thought. I'll be taking the mermaid with me, and she can pick a few other men to go with her. I'll leave that to her discretion."

"Ooooo! Me! Me! Me! I want to go! Pick me!" A small hand bounced and waved in the air at the back of the crowd.

The Captain sighed. "And it would seem Peter will be joining me as well."

"Yes!" The young boy's exclamation elicited some chuckling from the crew.

Arthur uncrossed his arms and allowed his lips twitch up into a small smile. "Alright then. We should we landing within the hour."

* * *

I was shocked. Arthur was actually letting me pick who would be coming with us without a fight. I would've been happy about it if it wasn't for one thing. He was giving me the cold shoulder. His offer appeared generous, but to me it looked like he couldn't be bothered to care about who I would choose. He wouldn't even look at me when he was addressing the crew.

I huffed loudly in irritation as I watched the Southern Continent grow closer and closer. The village of Okonfo was already visible, and I could just make out people moving along the shore. All I had to do now was pick who to accompany me and Arthur when we land. Peter was already coming, so that left only a few other people I wanted coming along.

"Hey, James," I called to the older man as he was shuffling past me. "Want to come ashore with me?"

"R-really? Ya want me t' go wit ya?" he asked in surprise. He turned to look at me with wide eyes. "Are ya sure?"

"Of course I am. You've been a good friend to me since I got here. I want you to come."

"Well, thank ya very much, Miz."

"Please, just call me (y/n)," I said with a laugh.

"Er, right. Sorry 'bout that." He blushed faintly.

"Oh, and tell Squeaker he can come too!"

"Will do. Thank ya again, Mi...er...(y/n)."

"Don't mention it."

The man excitedly shuffled away while holding up his pants. He was always losing his belt, and I hoped he would find it before we got to shore. I looked toward Okonfo again and noted how much closer it was. We would be landing soon. That reminded me of the last person I had to talk to yet. My heart skipped nervously at the thought.

It wasn't that I was afraid of talking to Alfred. In actuality, I wasn't sure what I felt. He had been so nice to me, but I couldn't keep the memory of him kissing my forehead from popping back up whenever I thought about him. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, especially when I added Arthur to the picture.

Oh tides, this was a mess. I leaned my elbows against the ship's railing and buried my face in my hands. There was no way this situation could get any weirder than it already was. I sighed and shook my head. Saying that would probably give fate some funny ideas, and that was the last thing I needed.

"Prepare t' raise the sails, ye filthy sea dogs!" someone shouted from behind me.

I turned to watch the crew roll up the large white canvases as the Queen Lady pulled into a harbor. It slowed to a stop next to a barnacle encrusted dock, and there was a loud splash as the anchor was dropped. A plank was lowered for the men to get off the ship, which they did with plenty of eagerness. Only the few men that had to stay behind didn't disembark, but instead sulked as they played cards or whittled on some driftwood.

"Alright! I'm so sick of being cooped up on this ship!"

I recognized the voice as Alfred's. "Alfred?"

His head poked up from the stairs leading below deck. "'Sup?" he asked with a grin.

"I was...erm..." I but my lip. Why was I hesitating? "I just wanted to know if you want to go with me ashore."

"Of course!" His blue eyes lit up happily.

"Alfred's coming? Yes!" Peter appeared out of nowhere and jumped on the young man's back.

"Hey, hey! Settle down, kid!" The two of them laughed as they horsed around next to me.

"Ah! Good, ya haven' left witout us!" Squeaker exclaimed as he and James appeared from the stairs.

"Looks like we're all here," I observed. "Now we just need to wait for-"

"I take it this is your group." Arthur came out of his room and looked over us quickly. "Let's get moving. I don't want to stay here long."

I pursed my lips. Again he hardly paid me any attention. Why did this bother me so much? I didn't know, but I didn't care. My group followed Arthur off the ship and down the dock toward the village. Okonfo appeared to be some kind of trading hub that dealt primarily with fish. In between the crude wooden huts of the village, there were many stalls selling freshly caught fish and other ocean delicacies.

"Wow," Peter breathed. His eyes widened excitedly. "Can we go over there?"

"Later," Arthur replied. "I need to visit an old friend first."

"Aww, please!"

The pirate's huge brows twitched. "Fine," he said finally. "But not for long."

"Yay!"

Peter, James, and Squeaker hurried away toward a vendor selling sweets and colorful trinkets. I watched them go with a twinge of jealousy. It was the first time I had been allowed to look around a human settlement, and I was curious. A quick peek at Arthur revealed him standing with his arms crossed, and a rather impatient expression adorned his face.

"Can I look to?" I asked as confidently as I could.

"Doesn't matter to me," he answered without even bothering to look.

I don't know why, but that made me angry. My fists clenched as I turned to face Alfred. "Let's go."

He followed me silently until we were far enough from Arthur that he wouldn't hear. "What's that all about?"

"Haven't a clue."

"Did you tell him about...you know."

I sighed. "No, not yet." He had been avoiding me, and I didn't know what to say after our last encounter. Thoughts of his lips on mine brought heat to my face.

"Hey, your face is all red. Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah...I'm fine," I lied.

Different scents filled the air as we approached some stalls. I feigned interest in some stewed squid to avoid talking about it any more. The squid actually looked pretty good, and I considered getting some. A dark skinned man glanced my way and grinned. He was stirring a large pot over a small fire, which made the sweat on his skin glisten.

"It's one gold piece per squid," he said with a thick accent. I noticed a lot of different languages being spoken here that I've never heard before, and I guessed he spoke one of them.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't have any gold," I apologized.

"You don't have any? That's so sad!" I looked up in surprise to see a young man with reddish brown hair watching. A single, long curl bounced as he snapped his fingers. "I know! I'll buy you some! No one should go hungry, especially a pretty girl like you."

"Oh no, you don't have to-"

"Feliciano! What do you think you're doing! You better not be chasing girls again!"

"Wahhh! It's Ludwig!"

The young man hid behind me and Alfred just as a tall blonde man appeared carrying two bags. He looked around until he spotted the two of us standing awkwardly with the hair curl guy behind us.

"Feliciano!"

"Wahhhhh! I'm sorry! I just wanted to help this pretty girl!" the young man screamed from behind me.

The blonde man sighed. "We're here to spread truth and light, not give handouts. We barely have enough gold to feed ourselves."

"Sorry, Ludwig..."

"Are you missionaries?" Alfred asked them.

"Yup!" Feliciano replied happily. His mood had changed drastically from before. "We're here to spread the truth of our great Lord Doitsu!"

"Lord Doitsu?" I repeated.

"Yes. His great Potatoness has brought us many great practices such as our daily potato worship and sparkle parties," Ludwig added.

"You wanna join?" Feliciano asked.

"Um...I think we have to go," I said quickly. The last thing I wanted was to get roped into some freaky religion. "It was nice meeting you!"

I grabbed Alfred's arm and hurried away before the two missionaries could object.

* * *

The Captain found Peter and the two other men eating candied bananas next to a vendor selling paper pinwheels. Their hands and faces were covered in sticky sugar, but they didn't seem to mind at all. Arthur wasn't sure whether to be upset or amused. He made them clean up before asking them where the mermaid was.

"Dunno," Squeaker answered. "We was too busy eatin' candies t' notice." He patted his full stomach.

"We're here!" The mermaid ran into view clutching Alfred's arm. They were both flushed and out of breath.

Arthur's eyes narrowed. He didn't like how close they were, but he kept that to himself. "Let's get moving then. We've wasted enough time as it is." The pirate didn't even glance at the mermaid.

"Who's your friend, Uncle Arthur?" Peter asked as he held a pinwheel up to catch the sea breeze.

"You'll see in a bit." Despite his previous cold attitude, the Captain reached out to ruffle the boy's hair.

The group walked silently toward the edge of the village as the sounds of the busy stalls died down. A single hut with a palm leaf roof stood by itself in a small cluster of trees. Arthur lead the group toward the small hut without hesitation. He had been here plenty of times before and was completely comfortable strolling down the dirt path.

The door to the hut was closed, and red curtains kept anyone from looking through the open holes used as windows. Arthur pounded on the door, and then waited. Nothing happened. He knocked again, but still nothing.

"Come on, Vladimir. Open up or I'll knock your door down."

Everything was quiet at first, but then there was a click before the door swung open with a creak.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your wonderful comments about the last chapter :) I too laughed when I wrote about Lord Doitsu and his two missionaries XD This is just a heads up for anyone who isn't too familiar with some of the minor Hetalia characters because Romania makes an appearance in this chapter! Himaruya-san didn't assign him a human name, so fans have most commonly dubbed him Vladimir. Thought I'd throw that in there if anyone was curious. Please enjoy :)

"I don't know who you are but if you think I'm going to-" A man with feline-like eyes peeked around the door and stood with his mouth open when he saw who was at the door. "A-Arthur..."

"That's Captain Kirkland to you," the pirate said as he narrowed his eyes.

"Of course...w-what brings you here?"

"I need to find something," Arthur answered. "Something very difficult to find."

The man fidgeted nervously and adjusted the small black hat perched precariously on his strawberry blonde hair. "I'd love to help you, really, but I don't really do that stuff anymore..."

"Don't lie to me, Vladimir." The Captain leaned in closer to the man.

"I'm not lying! I gave up that life." Vladimir fidgeted even more and looked around nervously with his red eyes. "Yup, yup. I don't deal with mystics and spooks anymore. I just stay at home and work in my zen garden."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "That's a load of rubbish." He grasped the door and pushed it back forcefully. Vladimir stumbled back into his hut, which was full of gold charms, shimmering relics, and several crystal balls of varying sizes. "Zen garden...right."

"I can explain! I can explain!"

The Captain drew his cutlass and pointed it at the man's throat to silence him. "I don't want an explanation, you stupid git. I need you to help me find something."

Vladimir stepped back slowly and sighed. "I guess I don't have a choice..." His cat-like eyes met the mermaid's, and he seemed immediately intrigued. "Oh ho! What do we have here? A mermaid..." He turned to Arthur with a grin that revealed his pointy canines. "What kind of trouble did you get into this time, Arthur?"

"That's not important," Arthur growled. "And it's Captain."

"Heh heh heh. Why don't you two step into my humble abode." Vladimir stepped aside to let Captain Kirkland and the mermaid pass. "We'll be back in a bit," he said to the others as he slammed the door in their faces.

* * *

"Would you like some tea? I always have a pot brewing," the strange blonde man said as he walked toward a small fire pit.

"That's the best thing you've said yet," Arthur replied as he sank into a wooden chair. One of its legs was shorter than the rest, and it wobbled as Arthur shifted his weight.

I looked around the dimly lit hut curiously. The red curtains made the faint light coming through the windows appear eerie and almost malicious. I could imagine some kind of demon pulling itself up from the shadows on the floor and try to take a bite out of my leg. As much as I wish I didn't have legs, I didn't want want them to get gnawed off either. That was enough to convince me to sit in a second wooden chair.

"Here we are." Vladimir pushed away some of the junk on the table in front of us and set down two cups of tea.

The cups looked a little dinged up and dirty, but I didn't want to look rude, so I took a sip anyway. I was surprised by the taste. "Wow, this is great!"

"I'm glad," the cat-like man said. "I grew these myself in my zen garden."

"You don't grow things in a zen garden," Arthur murmured, but he looked pleased with the tea too.

"Fine, fine. I picked the plants in the marshes." Vladimir rolled his red eyes. "You can find plants in the marshes that make the best potions. It's too bad all the locals are too scared to go in and help me pick them..."

"Why?" I asked.

"They're afraid of the ghosts," he said mischievously. Then he laughed. "They think the marshes are haunted."

"Well, they aren't, right?"

"Oh, they probably are." I looked at him in surprise, but his face showed no sign of joking. "Lots of people die in the marshes." He grinned toothily. "So what do you need me to find?"

Arthur lowered the cup from his lips. "We need to find the-"

He never got to finish because Vladimir snatched the teacup from his hands. The odd man peered inside the cup and studied its contents carefully. "Not looking so good, Arthur," he said with a click of his tongue. "But it's not bad either. Very ambiguous."

"What is he doing?" I whispered to Arthur.

"Reading tea leaves. It's a way of telling the future," he answered in a low voice. "And it's Captain Kirkland," he added much louder so the feline-like man would hear.

Vladimir just chuckled. "May I?" he asked as he reached for my cup. I handed it to him and watched as he read the dregs left at the bottom. "How interesting."

"What?"

"Your readings are practically identical." He showed us both cups, and sure enough, the tea leaves were uncannily similar.

"What does that mean?" Arthur asked in a serious tone.

"Everything, or nothing." The pirate tensed, and I could tell he was becoming annoyed. "But I would be careful if I were you. Your mermaid friend here has a lot of powerful magic surrounding her."

Arthur glanced at me for a moment. "Like what?"

"That charm around her neck has powerful magic. Very powerful. I'm very curious as to where she came across such a thing." Vladimir fixed his red eyes on me.

"I-I got it from Ojigwa," I stuttered out. "She said it might be important and that I should take it with."

"Oh ho! So you got it from that wrinkly old prune! That explains so much." I wasn't sure what a prune was, but it apparently was amusing to both Arthur and the strange man. "I've never seen such a rare mercharm before. I wonder where the prune found something this valuable."

"What is it?" Arthur asked. He seemed curious despite the apathy he had shown me as of late.

"A Leviathan charm. Very rare, and very powerful. It absorbs ocean magic like a mermaid usually does."

My heart pounded heavily in my chest. "It absorbs ocean magic?"

"Yes, and I suppose you'd find that quite useful in your current condition." He grinned widely. "This will keep you alive."

"B-but you said this is a mercharm! If that's true then there must have been mermaids before me..." My voice trailed off as the full impact of what I was going to say hit me.

"Yes, I'm sure there were," Vladimir said as he put our teacups away. "Quite the mystery, isn't it? Well, enough of that. What is it you want me to find?"

"The Lunar Islands," Arthur said without missing a beat.

The odd man paused and adjusted his hat. His fingers curled around the two ribbons trailing down from it. "The Lunar Islands you say. You're not the first ones to have asked for me to find them."

"Who else?" Arthur narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Foolhardy explorers...outlaws...pirates like yourself. All of whom have probably never been heard of again." Vladimir's eyes darken. "You're asking for the impossible. No one has ever made it to the Lunar Islands and back again."

"Why not?" I couldn't help but ask.

"They're surrounded by strange mists that never seem to fade. Most ships that go in never come back out, and the ones that do are always empty."

Arthur snorted. "You said you wouldn't tell me where it is, and then gave me all the information I needed."

"What are you talking about?" the strange man questioned.

"There's an uncharted patch of ocean between the Sea of Quan and the Sea of Norden that's always shrouded by a strange fog. Every sailor has heard the stories of the monster fog that seems to eat ships whole. That's where we need to go."

Vladimir sneered. "Heh! Just because you know where it is doesn't mean you'll find what you're looking for. The mist will eat you too if you're not careful."

"That's why you're going to tell me how to get through it."

"Not likely."

In the blink of an eye, the pirate captain pulled a revolver out from his coat and pointed it at the odd man. "I'd rather not have to do this, Vladimir."

"Okay, okay! I'll help you! But if I ever see you around here again, I'll curse you before you can get to the front door!"

"Just tell me how to get through," Arthur growled as he put the gun away.

"Alright. Sheesh. You need to sail to Xerux."

"What? Why?"

"Because I don't know how to get through the fog, but rumor has it someone in Xerux does." Vladimir shrugged. "That's all I know."

"Fine." Arthur stood up and rifled around in his coat. "Here." He threw a small bag of gold on the table.

Vladimir's eyes lit up. "Maybe I won't curse you that badly," he said as he scooped up the pouch of coins.

The pirate grunted and turned to leave. I quickly followed him out of the dark hut. The bright sunlight was pretty harsh on my eyes when I stepped out, but they quickly adjusted as we were mobbed by the guys we left behind. Peter handed me his paper pinwheel as he hopped around excitedly.

"It's for you," he told me. "I forgot to give it to you earlier."

"Thanks, little one." I smiled and mussed his hair.

"What happened in there?" Alfred asked with concern.

"Yeah! We was gettin' worried!" Squeaker added.

"We're setting out," Arthur replied without giving much of an answer. "The Eastern Continent awaits."

* * *

Arthur watched the clouds suspiciously. The sun was beginning to set and would have colored the sky with an intense blaze of reds, oranges, and yellows if not for the gathering storm clouds. Large, dark clouds were being blown in by the wind, which had increased in intensity since the Queen Lady had left Okonfo's harbor. The Captain didn't like the look of this one bit.

About an hour later, his fears were confirmed when it began to rain. It started off light enough, but it soon picked up and became a full on thunderstorm. Most of the crew was on deck holding onto the sails with long ropes to keep them from being torn away in the wind. A few brave souls were climbing the masts to try to roll up the billowing canvases, or at least disconnect them from the mast, but it was no good.

The sea tossed the ship to and fro as if it were a cork in a laundry tub. Huge waves crashed on the deck leaving behind white foam and the occasional bits of debris. While his men toiled to control the sails and bail water out of his vessel, the Captain steered with all of his strength. It was impossible for him to tell where he was going, but he trusted his sense of nautical direction and tried to direct the ship accordingly.

His messy hair was plastered to his head by the wind and rain, and the crew could faintly hear him roaring orders over the crashing of the ocean. Christov was doing his best to maintain order on deck, but there was only so much he could do. He stumbled his way up to the helm as the ship bucked and swayed to speak with the Captain.

"We can't 'old the sails much longer!" he shouted.

"Well, you're going to have to because we don't have any other choice!" Arthur replied through grit teeth. He blinked furiously to clear the water streaming down his face from his eyes, but he didn't dare let go of the wheel. "Blast this weather!"

"Cap'n! We need t' dock somewhere! The crew can't take much more!"

"And just where do you suggest we do that?!"

"The Fire Islands!"

Captain Kirkland turned to his first mate in surprise. "I must not have heard you right because I thought you just said the Fire Islands!"

"I did, Cap'n!"

"Do you know what you're asking?! That's suicide!"

"We're as good as dead out 'ere too, sah!"

Arthur looked down at his crew. They looked cold and tired. He didn't seem to have much of a choice in the matter. "Okay, Christov! But if anything goes wrong I'm holding it over your-"

He never finished. Instead he watched dumbfounded as the mermaid appeared on deck. She seemed to be shouting to someone about something and completely oblivious to the wave about to crash onto the deck. Water sprayed everywhere, and Arthur had to close his eyes to keep the salt from stinging them. When he opened them again, the mermaid was gone.

The Captain's heart clenched tightly in his chest and refused to relax. "Christov, take the helm!"

"No, Cap'n! There's nothing ye can do!" The first mate had apparently seen it too.

"Take the helm now! That's an order!"

Christov's expression hardened. "Aye aye, Cap'n."

Arthur barely heard what Christov said, but he rushed down the stairs as soon as his first mate had control of the wheel. What he saw made his stomach drop. Alfred was being wrestled to the ground by a group of men while the others tried desperately to hold onto the ropes. The Captain could tell they'd lose hold of the sails soon if they didn't get help, and decided to take control of the situation.

"What's going on over here, eh?" he shouted above the wind.

"It's (y/n)! She fell in!" Alfred yelled. "I have to save her!"

"So, you're willing to put this whole ship in danger to save her, are you, you stupid git?!"

The kid's face went blank, and then contorted with anger. "We can't just leave her!"

"We can, and we will!" His words were so definitive that the Captain felt a piece of himself die. He was practically giving out a death sentence.

"You bastard!" Alfred's glasses hung crookedly on his nose as he struggled against the men holding him back. He elbowed one in the face, who fell back clutching his now bloody nose.

Arthur didn't think. His foot seemed to have a mind of its own as it swung out and connected with Alfred's stomach. The boy quit fighting and crumpled in pain. Arthur took the opportunity to lean in closer and growl in Alfred's ear.

"You listen good, you little wanker! When I tell you we're not doing something, we're not doing it! Looking for (y/n) now would be a suicide mission! We'll find somewhere to wait out the storm, and then come back and look for her when the weather is clear, understand?"

Alfred nodded, but didn't look up at the Captain.

"Good! Now get back to work! There won't be any lazy men on my ship! That goes for the rest of you blokes too!" he roared at his crew.

He didn't bother to watch if Alfred got up or not. Instead, he went back to the helm. The Captain clenched his fists as he fought the wind and rain across the deck. There was nothing he could do about the mermaid now. As much as he wanted to jump into the raging ocean and look for her himself, he knew he couldn't after what he said to that insufferable boy. A captain has to live by his own words, or no one would listen to him.

Arthur managed to reach the helm and take the wheel back from Christov. He took comfort in the thought that he was still alive. As long as his heart was beating, so was hers.


	18. Chapter 18

Gravel crunched loudly underneath the Captain's boots as he paced along the shore of a completely black island. It was the second largest of the three volcanic islands in the area that were known as the Fire Islands. They were known for being inhospitable death traps for anyone unlucky enough to get stranded on their black shores. Being here made Arthur nervous, but not as nervous as the fact that his ship was in rough shape and the mermaid was still missing.

The Queen Lady had somehow managed to maneuver through the tempest to one of the islands and roughly scrap herself up onto its dark shore. The crew then had to jump out and pull the vessel as far out of the water as they could so the sea wouldn't drag her back out. Then they waited. It took several hours for the storm to blow over, and Arthur was a wreck by the time it was over. He was soaked down to the bone, and worry gnawed at his insides as every minute passed.

The Captain swore loudly and kicked away a rock with his foot. Where could she be? He had wanted to go out looking for her as soon as the storm passed, but his ship was in no condition to leave. There were several leaks that had to be patched with tar and a torn sail that was being repaired. He glanced at the horizon again hoping to see any sign of the missing girl, but there was nothing except an unbroken plane of water.

It was just his luck that the winds had completely died after the storm broke. Even if the ship was in tip top shape, he wouldn't be able to get her anywhere without some kind of breeze. Arthur bit back another curse. Shouting foul things wouldn't fix anything. That's when he felt something tug on his coat sleeve.

"Uncle Arthur, where's (y/n)? I haven't seen her since she told me to stay in her room."

Arthur's blood froze in his veins. No one had told Peter about the mermaid yet.

"She fell overboard during the storm. The Captain wouldn't let us look for her." The contempt in Alfred's voice made Arthur want to kick him in the gut again. The Captain turned to see the spectacled brat sitting nearby with a dejected look on his face.

"I-is that true?" Peter asked with hurt in his eyes.

"Of course not," Arthur assured. "I wanted to look for her, but it would have been impossible in the storm. We'll go find her once the ship is fixed up."

"Likely story." Alfred cocked his head slightly toward the Captain. "I bet you're loving the fact that she's gone."

"What?"

"You heard me. I know all about how your plans to get rich off of her fell through. I bet you're glad to be rid of her, you sick bastard."

Arthur clenched his fists. "You don't know a thing, you stupid git."

"Then why didn't you save her?!" Alfred got to his feet and pointed a finger accusingly. "You wouldn't let me save her! It's your fault she's gone!"

"I was doing you a favor! I saved your bloody life!" The Captain heard Peter back away a few steps behind him.

"By sacrificing hers! You're a murderer!"

Something inside Arthur snapped. He pulled a revolver out from inside his coat and cocked it while he pointed it at the enraged youth. "You don't know what you're saying."

"So what? You're going to kill me too?" Alfred's eyes blazed defiantly.

"Only if you continue making a bloody fool of yourself."

"But-"

"She's not dead!" Arthur roared. He couldn't tell if he said it to convince Alfred or himself. "She's not dead."

"How...how do you know?"

The Captain lowered his weapon and pointed to his chest with his free hand. "We have a heart-bond. If she dies, so do I."

Alfred looked absolutely flabbergasted. "I...I forgot about that...When did she...?"

"Long story," Arthur sighed as he slipped his gun back into his coat. "All you need to know is that since I'm alive, so is she."

"Does it work with emotions too?"

"What?"

Alfred squirmed uncomfortably. "Well, since it's a connection through the heart maybe you can feel each other's emotions."

Arthur hadn't thought too much about that, but it did explain a few things. It also made his stomach turn. "What are you getting at?"

"I know the way you two feel about each other. I'm not as dumb as you think I am."

The Captain nearly choked on his own spit. "There's no way-"

"Don't try to deny it!" Alfred shouted. "It's because of you that she won't look at me as anything more than a friend, and that's why..." He paused briefly. "That's why I need to know if your connection works with emotions too because maybe it's just your feelings she has, not her own."

Arthur hid his growing concern with a smirk. "What if it's the other way around?"

Alfred's fists clenched, and for a second Arthur thought maybe the kid was going to charge. "Just...just find her!" He turned around and stomped off.

"Humph." The Captain folded his arms, his mood worse than before. Although, it would seem that the mermaid doesn't have feelings for the brat at all. Arthur should've taken comfort in that, but a new worry plagued him instead.

"U-Uncle...?"

Arthur winced. He had forgotten all about Peter. "I'm sorry you had to see that." He turned around to see the boy watching him with wide eyes.

"I-is it true...about your heart...?"

"Yes," the pirate sighed. This was something he wanted to keep from Peter, but that idiot had to go screw things up.

Before he could say anything else, Peter hugged him tightly. "I don't want anything to happen to you or (y/n)."

Initially, Arthur was surprised by the boy's sudden actions, but he embraced Peter and chuckled softly. "Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

* * *

I was swimming practically blindly. After I fell of the ship, it was next to impossible for me to get my bearings. Everything was roaring and heaving, so I took shelter in a small sea cave until it calmed down. That part took a while. I spent most of the time sleeping since there was nothing else I could do. It wasn't particularly comfortable, but I managed.

When I woke up, the ocean was back to its usual self. Now my problem was I didn't know which way the Queen Lady went. There was no way it was still in this area, but I couldn't say for sure which way it had gone. On a whim, I started swimming west away from the rising sun. I didn't know why, but it seemed as good a direction as any.

I kept going for maybe an hour or so before I began to get worried. There wasn't anything in sight around me. The horizon formed one continuous line all the way around, which usually wouldn't have worried me had I just been swimming on my own. Unbidden, my thoughts turned to Peter. I had left him in my room before running up to the deck, and I hoped he was alright.

Steeling my resolve, I continued swimming toward the west. Right about the time when the sun was directly over my head, I saw the first signs of land. Some kind of odd peaks rose in the distance, and I figured it was my best shot. I swam closer and closer all while praying everyone made it through the storm safely. My heart clenched. I hadn't gotten the chance to talk to anyone before the wave hit me. What if I never got another chance?

I quickly shook those thoughts from my head. As irritating as he's been, I trusted Arthur to take care of my friends. I held onto that belief tightly as I swam toward the black peaks in the distance. There was something odd about the second largest peak. It looked like there was something big sitting on its shore. I recognized it as the Queen Lady.

I swam with renewed vigor as the peaks started to resemble three separate islands, and the spots surrounding the ship morphed into human shapes. Somehow, I had managed to find exactly what I was looking for. I clutched the Leviathan charm. Maybe it brought me luck, or maybe my heart just knew where I needed to go. I heard shouting as the men aboard the ship saw me coming, and several figures jumped into the water to meet me.

The first to arrive was Peter. He swam as quickly as a minnow and leaped into my open arms. "(Y/n)! It's you! You made it!"

"Of course, little one," I said as I hugged him close. "You didn't think a little water would stop me, did you?"

The two of us were tackled by Alfred next. "(Y/n)!" he exclaimed. "How did you do it?" He squeezed us tightly.

"Miz...er, (y/n)! It's really yew!" James swam to us next with a shaking Squeaker on his back.

I laughed happily as my friends surrounded me. "C'mon guys. Let's get back to shore. I don't know about you, but I could definitely use a break from all this swimming."

"I thought mermaids liked swimming," Peter said as he followed me toward the shore.

"Oh, we do," I answered. "But that doesn't mean we don't get tired."

I turned toward the black island and my eyes met a pair of bright green ones. Arthur was standing on the shore waiting. My heart skipped, and I was quite sure it had followed him all the way here. I smiled sheepishly at the pirate as I exited the water. He didn't say anything, but he didn't look away either.

"Arthur, I-"

He didn't let me finish. I practically had the air squeezed out of me as he hugged me tightly. "Don't ever do that again," he murmured in my ear.

I relaxed and wrapped my arms around his sturdy chest. "Sorry."

Just then, a loud bang filled the air. I jumped away from Arthur in surprise. "What was that?"

The pirate captain's face paled. He pulled back the front of his coat to reveal a smoking hole in one of his pockets. I immediately realized that was where he kept his revolver.

"Why...? What...? Who keeps a primed gun in their coat?!" I demanded.

"I...I must have forgotten..." Arthur said in hardly more than a whisper.

"At least you're not hurt."

He vaguely nodded. Then he slowly turned to look to his left. Alfred stood there with a shocked expression on his face, which quickly contorted to one of pain. He looked down at his foot and laughed once in a hoarse, crazy kind of way. There was a hole in his shoe that was oozing dark blood. It ran down the sides and dripped onto the black gravel at Alfred's feet.

What came next was unnerving. I'd never heard anyone scream like that before in my life.


	19. Chapter 19

My stomach flipped again as another scream pierced the air. It's been hours since the door to Arthur's room closed behind the pirate, Alfred, and Cook. Apparently, Cook had some kind of medical training in the past, so he was our best bet to save Alfred. It wasn't like foot injuries were particularly fatal, but a gunshot wound was still a gunshot wound.

I cringed as another wail rang in my ears. It took all of my self control to not burst into the room and beg Cook to stop whatever horrible torture he was doing. Actually, I was told not to go in. Part of me wanted to be defiant, but part of me knew I would probably just get in the way. I had been completely helpless when the pirates had carried Alfred back onto the ship. He was flailing around so much that it took one man to just hold his arms while two more carried him.

"Wait here," Arthur had said as the door closed behind him.

Christov had been one of the men carrying the injured boy, but had come back out not long after the door closed. He sat next to me on a crate as we waited for something to happen.

"Don't worry yerself, lass. Cook knows what 'e's doin'."

I looked over at Christov in surprise. "What?"

"Yer shakin' harder 'n a leaf in a cold wint'r breeze. There's no need t' fret. 'Ave a bit o' faith in Cook."

"Sorry," I mumbled as I tried to control my trembling. "It's just that I've never known anyone that's gotten hurt so badly before."

The first mate raised an eyebrow. "Never?"

"No," I said with a shake of my head. "Whenever a member of the Guard comes back injured, they just go to the Healers and they're good as new." Unless they're dead, but I decided against saying that.

"Are yer folk good with that sorta thing?"

"Yes, very. There's almost nothing they can't heal."

"Do ya thing ye can..." He nodded toward the door.

I sighed in dismay. "I never learned. I'm not old enough to pick a vocation yet, so I never learned to fight, or heal, or anything." I rubbed away the tears forming in my eyes. "What I wouldn't give to be a hundred and fifty."

Christov's eyes bugged at the number, but he didn't say any more about it. "Ah get t' thinkin' that that boy is gonna be jus' fine, even without yer magic."

"I hope so."

"Jus' take a look 'ere." The brawny pirate tugged down on his shirt collar to expose a long pink scar that spanned his entire chest. "Got meself cut up real good once in a scuffle with some right nasty bandits. Didn't think the blood'd ever stop gushin' out." I blanched at the thought. "But Cook patched me up real good. Ain't ever had a problem with it since. That man don't know 'ow t' make a decent bowl o' soup, but he sure knows 'ow t' fix up a ding er two."

"I hope you're right." My stomach was still doing flips, but I still managed to give Christov a small smile.

* * *

The Captain cursed his situation over and over again. He really only had himself to blame though since this whole situation was his fault. Arthur didn't want to think of it that way. He much preferred to think of what kind of punishment he could give Alfred for bleeding all over his bed. Maybe one that involved doing all of the Captain's laundry for five or six weeks.

"Can you stop getting blood all over the place?" Arthur growled as he held the injured boy's shoulders down.

"Maybe there wouldn' be such a mess if you'd hold him down properly, hm?"

"Tch." Arthur grit his teeth as he fought another attempt by Alfred to sit up. What the little whelp planned on doing once he was up, the Captain didn't know.

"Make it stop!" Alfred wailed. He had been repeating himself for over an hour. "Make it stop."

"It would go faster if you just held still," Arthur said through clenched teeth. The only response he got was another scream and flailing limbs. "Watch it!" the Captain yelled as he dodged a hand. "What's taking so bloody long?"

"The bullet didn' leave his foot," Cook replied. "I has ta dig it out, but it's shattered some bone making it hard ta find." He adjusted a pair of spectacles perched on his nose, which left behind a red smudge. "I'm about ta try again. Do you have him?"

"The best I can," Arthur grumbled. He was practically on top of the moaning boy. "Ready when you are."

"Gosh, this hurts," Alfred mumbled. He occasionally seemed to pull out of his pain induced stupor and speak with unusual clarity. "Think you could ease up a bit, Big Bro? Your elbows are killing me."

"What did you just-"

"Here I go!"

Arthur cursed his moment of laxity. Alfred shrieked and writhed under his grip at the same time the Captain pulled out of his shock. It took all of his strength to keep the boy from throwing him off, but somehow Arthur clung on. Where was the brat getting all this strength?

"You need ta hold him still!" Cook said with urgency. "I can' look for the bullet with him squirming like this!"

"I'm...trying," Arthur grunted out.

"We should sedate him. Do you has any rum, or whiskey maybe?"

"No...I have something better!" The Captain braced himself before lifting an arm up long enough to give Alfred a swift punch to the jaw. He stopped moving after that.

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess it'll do," Cook mumbled. He immediately went back to work.

Arthur stood up and watched the man search for the bullet. The Captain was breathing harder than he thought he should have, and he wiped some sweat off his brow. Something sticky clung to his face, and he glanced down at his hands to see them streaked with blood. Arthur wasn't squeamish when it came to blood, but something Alfred had said in his moment of clarity made his stomach clench.

Guilt also gnawed at his stomach, which was not a feeling he was used to. It was his carelessness that had put Alfred in this situation in the first place. How could he forget to disarm his gun before putting it back in his jacket? Arthur wasn't one for openly showing how he was feeling, but he definitely felt awful about how the day had gone. Especially when he looked at the bruise beginning to form on Alfred's face.

"There! I got it!"

The Captain turned to see Cook holding up something small and round between a pair of tweezers. He cleaned it off with the least bloody part of a soiled rag and held it back up to the light.

"Would you like ta keep it, Captain? A souvenir for all your trouble?"

Arthur knew he was joking, but the pirate wasn't in a particularly amiable mood. "No. Just get rid of it."

"Where are you going?"

"Out," Arthur answered as he walked to the door. Exhaustion seemed to hit him like an enormous wave, and he had to get away from the bloody mess behind him as soon as possible.

He nearly ran into the mermaid as he exited his private quarters. "How's Alfred? Is he okay?" she asked almost desperately.

"He's fine." Arthur could hardly mask the fatigue in his voice. "You can see him once Cook is done patching him up."

"I'm glad." The Captain look at her in surprise. She was smiling peacefully as she wiped away some moisture in her eyes. "Thank you."

"Looks like ye had quite the battle," Christov chimed in as he stood from his crate.

"I suppose you can say that." Arthur watched as the last of the sun dipped below the watery horizon. "Gather the crew, will you Christov. We need to make up for lost time."

"Aye, Cap'n. Is there anything else you need?"

"No...no. I just need to clean up a bit."

The first mate nodded in understanding before leaving to rally the crew. Arthur felt about ready to collapse and decided to get moving before his body actually did.

"Do you want help?"

He looked up to see the mermaid watching him intently. "I think I'll be fine on my own," he answered. "Just wait for Cook to finish. I'm sure the brat will want to see you when he wakes up."

The Captain didn't wait for her to reply. He left to satisfy the steadily increasing need to wash the blood from his hands.

* * *

Alfred still wasn't awake by the time Arthur returned. The pirate slipped into the room quietly and stood next to my chair facing the bed. He seemed to be eyeing the suspicious looking welt on Alfred's face, and I wondered if he had been the cause of it. Now wasn't really the time to ask though. I was about to speak, but he beat me to it.

"He called me his 'Big Bro'."

"W-what?"

Arthur turned his tired gaze toward me. "You know something, don't you?"

"Well, I...yes." There wasn't any point in hiding it. "I heard your half of the story and Alfred's, so I think I know what happened."

"And?" he prompted.

"I'll tell you it you tell me why you've been avoiding me."

That took him by surprise. "Who said I was-"

"You can drop the act, Arthur."

He swore. "You're sharper than I gave you credit for..." he mumbled under his breath. "Well, since you have Alfred here I didn't think you would want me around."

I didn't know what to think about that. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw you two talking before we arrived in Okonfo, if you can call what I saw talking." Arthur's eyes darkened as if recalling something unpleasant.

"You saw that?" My face heated up in embarrassment. It was bad enough that it happened, but on top of that Arthur saw it too. I was on the brink between anger and hysterics. "So what? You just gave up? You didn't even try?"

"It's not like you were fending him off."

His cold words cut into my heart. "Unlike you, I didn't quite have a choice in the matter," I said with plenty of ice into my voice.

Arthur didn't seem to appreciate the comment much, and one of his eyebrows twitched in irritation. "Well, at least I'm not being an annoying brat."

I stood from my chair quivering with rage. "At least I'm not an arrogant fool who keeps a primed and loaded gun in his pocket!"

"At least I'm not dumb enough to get caught in a fish net!"

"At least I'm not so full of myself that I wear frilly shirts and a gazillion rings!"

"At least I don't need magic to get out of a tight spot!"

"At least I don't have eyebrows like yours!"

I regretted it as soon as the words came out of my mouth. Arthur's face phased through three shades of red, and I swore that steam was pouring out of his ears. He clenched his fists tightly, but didn't say a word. I wished he would because having him yell at me was infinitely better than the tense silence in the room.

"At least neither of you have a hole in your foot..."

Alfred's weak voice broke the oppressive silence and lowered the hostilities in the room. I had been so caught up in the argument that I forgot he was even there.

"How are you feeling?" I asked as I turned to face him.

"Sore," he answered as he rubbed his bruised face. "Did...did somebody punch me in the face? Dang that hurts."

"How's your foot?"

"Worse than my face." He grimaced. "It's like someone stuck a knife in it and keeps twisting it around. Not a great feeling." He yawned, and I almost did too. "I'm totally wiped. Mind if I take a snooze?"

"Of course not," I told him with a weak smile.

"Cool. And keep it down you two." He smirked playfully before closing his eyes. It only took him a few minutes to doze off again.

I sat back down in my chair directly across from him and watched his chest rise and fall at a steady rate. To me it seemed like a miracle that Cook was able to patch him up. I was so caught up worrying about Alfred that I almost didn't notice when Arthur started talking.

"Tell me what you found out," he said softly.

I glanced behind me to see him back to normal, if not a bit more tired than before. It took me a moment to recall what we had been talking about "Okay, you told me your mom left, right? And that she left you behind?" He nodded. "Well, according to Alfred, she regretted not taking you with her."

"What?" Arthur's green eyes were suddenly wide and alert.

"Apparently she always talked about her 'darling Arthur', as Alfred put it. She wanted to take you with her, but she couldn't for some reason."

My words were met with silence. He looked away an didn't speak for a long time. When he did finally say something, his voice was low and unsteady. "So what does that leave me with? Vague memories and an idiot for a brother?"

"Hey...not nice to talk about people when they're sleeping." Alfred opened his eyes and smiled.

"It's also not nice to eavesdrop," I scolded.

"It's not really eavesdropping if you're doing it right in front of me."

The two of us laughed softly, although Alfred winced afterward. He smiled again before shifting his gaze toward Arthur. "Mom never forgot about you for a second. Even when she got sick, she still prayed every night that her darling Arthur was somewhere safe." He closed his eyes. "She was always so sorry, and I never understood why."

"Alfred..." I looked between the two unsure of what to say.

"I'll bet she's glad I found you." He opened his eyes and grinned in the way only he could. "Don't you think, Big Bro?"

"Don't...call me that," Arthur said as he took a step away from the bed. He quickly turned and exited the room.

"Just let him go for now," Alfred said to me before I could go after the pirate. "It would suck if he said something stupid to upset you."

"But..." I could feel the turmoil in Arthur's heart within my own, and I didn't want to leave him alone.

"Wait a few minutes before you look for him, okay?"

I looked at Alfred in surprise. "You're fine with me leaving?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I can't stop you with my foot like this," he joked. "Besides, I know nothing I could say would convince you anyway. You've got it bad for him."

"I...what?" My face flushed.

"Stop pretending, (y/n)." Alfred sighed, but smiled soon after. "I can't compete with him, but if anything happens." He lifted up his injured foot. "I'll be sure to return the favor."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. "Okay."


	20. Chapter 20

I never found Arthur that night, despite the fact that I looked everywhere for him, and the next morning we arrived in Xerux on the Eastern Continent. The docks around the city were filled with all kinds of different ships, and the place was much livelier than Okonfo had been. I could see a large market similar to the one in Southern Continent's village, but this one was much bigger. Eagerness to explore welled up inside me as I waited for the landing crew to be organized.

Arthur had reappeared not too long ago looking about the same as usual, but there was just something off about the way he moved and talked. No one else seemed to notice except me, so it was possible I was only imagining it. Something loud thudded beside me as I was thinking, and I turned to see Alfred huffing and puffing while sitting on a crate. A thin sheen of sweat covered his brow, which he wiped away with his sleeve.

"It's hard to move around on these crutches," he explained with a carefree grin. He gestured to the strange sticks he leaned on to help him walk.

"Are you sure you're supposed to be walking around? What if you hurt your foot some more?"

"Eh, I'm not worried." He waved away my concern with a flick of his wrist. "It's better than sitting around doing nothing. I swear if I have to spend one more minute counting the number of cracks in the ceiling, I'm going to die of boredom!" He made a grumpy pout with his face that made me laugh.

"Just don't overdo it. No one's going to help you if you fall over."

"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes playfully, and I was glad to see him in his usual high spirits. It was a little disconcerting to see him so down and serious last night. "Are you going ashore?"

I nodded. "Probably. Arthur's going to look for someone that Vladimir mentioned, and I should really go with him." I snuck a quick glance at Alfred's face to see his reaction, but he didn't even blink at the mention of the pirate.

Speak of the devil.

"Alright, listen up!" Arthur shouted over the rabble of men crowded on the deck. "We're going to be docked here for a while, so you're free to go look around for a while. Those of you who are staying to watch the ship have already been informed. You're all dismissed."

It didn't take long for the men to disperse to wherever they planned to go. The deck emptied quickly leaving only me and Alfred along with Arthur on the deck. The pirate captain met my eyes and nodded once.

"Looks like that's my cue," I said to Alfred.

"Bring me back something cool," he called out as I walked toward Arthur.

The pirate met me with another nod. "(Y/n)."

"Where's everyone else?"

"I thought it'd be best if it were just the two of us," he explained.

I tried to discern if there was some ulterior motive behind his decision, but there didn't seem to be any as far as I could tell. "So, what's the plan?"

"We don't have many leads other than to look in this city, so we may be here a while." Arthur turned to disembark from the ship, and I followed behind. "Our best bet is to ask around and see it anyone knows who this person is."

"It's too bad Vladimir didn't tell us more," I mumbled.

"I was actually surprised by how much he did tell. Usually he needs more...persuading before giving up information."

I had a pretty good idea what kind of persuading he meant by the smirk that appeared on his lips. He didn't slow his pace as we entered the main market area and were immediately surrounded by mobs of people. This was nothing like the market in Okonfo. It was dirtier, smellier, and at least ten times louder. On the other hand, the wares being sold here were much more interesting, and I had to constantly swivel my head to see everything.

There were some stalls that sold nothing but fabric, but it was the most colorful cloth I had ever seen. Women examined and fingered bolt after bolt of fine fabric in just about every color I could imagine. Some even had prints of dragons and other mythical creatures on them. Other stalls sold candy stacked in the largest mounds I had ever seen. Children flocked around these vendors and admired the sugary sweets. I made a mental note to get some for Alfred on our way back.

The next stall to catch my eye was a merchant selling all kinds of weapons. I had never seen anything quite like it before. There weren't any cutlasses and knives on display like the ones the pirates aboard the Queen Lady used. Instead, these weapons were much more elegant in appearance with long, thin blades that were honed to a deadly edge. I imagined one of those swords could slice open a person with one deft swing.

"Ah ha! I see you have good eye," a man with a thin black beard said to me. "Would you like to hold?"

"Is that alright?"

"Of course! Pretty lady like you holding one blade better advertising than thousand painted fliers."

It was hard to understand the man through his accent, but I stepped toward his stall anyway. "Which one should I pick?"

"You don't pick blade," he said with a shake of his head. "Blade pick you."

I wasn't really sure what he meant, but I decided to give it a try. His narrow, slanted eyes watched me while I looked over each blade carefully. Some of the longer swords would have been too much for me to handle, so I opted to look at the smaller knives. Their silver surfaces shined in the late morning sun. None of them really appealed to me until I saw a knife with a blade the length of my hand that had something engraved in it. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a fierce looking sea serpent bearing its curved fangs.

"Ah, good eye, good eye," the man said with a nod. "Very nice, yes?"

"How much?" I asked as I carefully gripped the handle. The red wrappings felt soft and comfortable in my hand.

"For you, only six hundred gold. Good deal. Very good deal."

"Six hundred?" I bit my lip and set the knife back down. "I don't have that much."

"Okay, okay. I willing to lower price, but just for you. You buy it for five hundred and ninety gold."

At first I thought he was joking, but he smiled earnestly at me. That was hardly a discount at all! I was about to decline again when a familiar voice called out from the busy crowd.

"Dang it, (y/n)! You can't wander off in a place like this!"

"Oh!" I turned around to see Arthur storming toward me with an irked expression. "I completely forgot!"

"Honestly, you're completely hopeless." He came to a halt next to me and pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "If something happened to you..." He didn't finish his thought, but he did notice the weapons I was looking at. "You want a knife?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. They just caught my eye."

"Which one?" I pointed to the engraved one. "How much?" he asked the man.

"Ah! I see you are very intelligent man. I sell you for seven hundred gold. Very good deal, yes?"

"What?" I burst out indignantly.

I was about to tell Arthur he was being ripped off, but the pirate raised his hand to keep me quiet. "I'll give you three hundred."

"Ho ho ho! Funny man!" The vendor chuckled heartily. "How does five hundred sound?"

"Three fifty."

"Four fifty."

"Three seventy five."

"Four twenty five."

"Done." Arthur pulled out several bags of gold coins from his coat and dropped them in the man's hands.

"Thank you, thank you." The man opened a bag and smiled at its contents. "Pleasure doing business."

"Here you are, love." Arthur placed the sheathed knife in my hand. "Don't lose it now."

"H-how could you spend so much?" I asked as I followed him back into the crowd.

"Consider it an investment in your safety." He shot me a pretty charming smile before adding, "Also, something like this could sell for much more than what I paid, if you have the proper connections."

"So you swindled him!"

"I'm a pirate, love. It's what we do. Besides, that engraving on there," he tapped the knife with his fingers, "is what the people of the Eastern Continent use to depict the Leviathan. I thought it was fitting." His fingers trailed across my collarbone to the silver charm hanging around my neck.

My skin broke out in goosebumps from his soft touch, but I didn't say anything about it. Instead, I bit my lip and looked down at the knife. Even in its sheath it was beautiful. I found it hard to stay mad at Arthur. "Thank you."

"What was that?" He glanced back at me mischievously.

"Thank you." I leaned in close and gave him a peck on the cheek.

This caught him off guard. "I-it was nothing," he sputtered. "I was just doing the gentlemanly thing." He said this, but his face was bright red.

I linked my arm around his. There wasn't a hint of the run down, emotionally crippled Arthur from last night, and I was glad. "Still. Thanks."

His eyes flickered down to me for a moment. "You're very welcome."

"Now, where are we going?"

"Well, while you were off spending large amounts of gold, I was doing some real work and finding leads." He stopped the two of us in front of a building with a red roof that smelled strongly of herbs. "Most of them pointed to this tea shop."

Paper lanterns swayed from the eaves of the tea shop, and cheerful chatter drifted through the doorway when Arthur slid open the screen door. A few eyes turned to watch our entry, but otherwise our presence didn't cause much of a stir. The smell of burning incense wreathed around my head as we pushed our way further into the shop.

"Who are we looking for?"

"I'm not quite sure," Arthur replied in a low voice. "I was told we would know when we spot him."

We maneuvered our way around the shop some more, but no one seemed to stand out. I was distracted by some strange, yet beautiful writing on a hung scroll when someone grabbed my wrist.

"Hey, honey. Why don't you ditch this scrawny loser and come play with us big boys."

I turned to see some large ruffians eyeing me in the most disgusting way possible. "Um, no thank you."

"C'mon! We'll show you a real good time." The man holding my arm licked his lips provocatively.

"Please, we're not looking for trouble-"

The enormous man stood up with enough force to knock his chair over. I noticed the entire tea shop had gone quiet, and everyone was staring at us. "We're not giving you a choice here. You come with us, and we'll leave your shrimpy friend alone."

Arthur let go of my other arm and stepped in front of me to block me from view. "I believe the lady already declined your offer."

"Pheh." The man spat on the floor. "And what are you going to do about it, shrimp?"

Arthur moved so fast that I didn't see what happened. Next thing I knew, he was standing behind the ruffian with a cocked revolver pointed at the man's ugly head. "I suggest you release the lovely lady and leave the shop, otherwise I'll have to pay to have your brains cleaned off the floor."

"What...what are you playing at?!" The man let go of my wrist and turned to lash out at Arthur, but something made contact with his head before any of us could blink.

"Hai-yah!" A lithe man had shot through the air and landed a powerful kick on the ruffian's head. The grungy man went flying toward the screen door and crashed right through. "Ai-yah! The rest of you better leave before I kick you out myself!"

The rest of the gargantuan gang ran off without a second thought. There was some hooting and hollering along with laughter at their retreat. I sighed in relief and took a moment to examine the newcomer. He was shorter than me, but obviously very fit. His facial features matched the sharper features of the native Eastern Continental people, and he had his dark hair pulled back into a low ponytail. I watched as he brushed off his clothes, although I didn't think it was too effective since his hands were covered by long sleeves.

Suddenly he turned toward Arthur. "You! You're causing trouble in my tea house, aru!"

Arthur stared at the little man in shock. "Me? It's your own fault for serving idiots like that!"

I could sense a dangerous tension between the two and decided to step in before it got out of hand. "Maybe we should find somewhere more private to talk?" I looked at Arthur pointedly, and he seemed to understand what I meant.

"Yes, I came looking for someone with important information."

"Eh? Is that so, aru? I guess we can step into my office. Mei! Clean up this mess!"

"Y-yes, sir!" A cute young girl with flowers tucked by her ears scurried toward the door to try to fix whatever she could.

"This way, please!" The little man's disposition changed to a cheerier one rather quickly.

We followed him to a small room decorated with dragon figurines and scrolls depicting some kind of cat. He sat down behind an ornate desk and faced us with a big smile.

"So, before we talk I think you owe me something, aru."

"Like what?" Arthur asked with narrowed eyes.

"You trashed my shop! I need gold to fix that!"

"You're insane! I'm not paying you!"

"Then I can't guarantee I have the information you're looking for, aru."

Arthur looked about ready to blow. I reached out to gently touch his arm. "Arthur, maybe it's best to just pay."

He look at me like I was crazy. "(Y/n), he's the one who kicked that idiot through the door, not me."

"But still..." I leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. "If we want him to talk, we need to pay him."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Fine." He reached into his coat and pulled out a bag of gold, which he threw onto the desk. "There, now talk."

The man reached for the gold and began counting. He also reached over for a small bowl of candy on his desk and offered it to us absentmindedly while continuing to count. "Candy?"

"Um, no thank you," I declined.

Once he seemed satisfied, he put the gold back in the sack and threw it in a desk drawer. "So, what do you want to know?"

"Let's start with your name," Arthur said.

The man smiled. "My name is Yao Wang, aru. I specialize in good food, tea, martial arts, and rare goods." His smile faded into a more calculating expression. "You're probably not interested in the first three."

"No, we need a way to get through the fog surrounding the Lunar Islands, and we've heard you're the one to talk to."

"That's going to cost you." Yao opened a different desk drawer and pulled out a faded yellow map. He spread it out on his desk and points to a large bay south of Xerux. "If you want that info, you're going to have to do something for me. There are some old ruins here, aru. I want you to go there and find something."

"Such as...?"

"You'll know when you see it." With that, Yao rolled up the map and stuffed it back into his desk. "Just watch out. I heard there have been strange people there, aru."

Arthur closed his eyes and sighed. "Perfect. Just bloody perfect."


	21. Chapter 21

Arthur felt worse and worse about the whole ordeal the closer the Queen Lady got to the Gulf of Misery. Yes, Yao wanted him to go to the Ruins of Tantus in a place called the Gulf of Misery. If that didn't make him hesitant, he was a fool. The Captain was not a fool, however, and he was seriously considering forgetting the whole thing. At least until the mermaid showed up on deck.

Her feet skipped lightly across the wooden deck. The Captain had never seen anything so graceful. She was as good on her feet as she was in the water, although he was under the impression that she would disagree. At that moment, she seemed to realize she was being watched because she turned to meet Arthur's eyes with an intent gaze. His heart almost stopped at the intensity of her look, but her face quickly transformed into a smile. She joined him at the helm in a heartbeat.

"How are things going?" she asked in a soft voice.

"We're almost there."

She frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Don't worry it's-"

"Don't say it's nothing, Arthur."

She got him. He didn't want to divulge his worries, so he decided to go a different route. "I was just thinking about how you still owe the whole crew some pies."

Surprisingly, the mermaid laughed. "I can't believe you still remembered that."

"You owe me," Arthur said with a smirk. "Especially after that." He nodded at the knife strapped around her hip in its red scabbard. "It suits you."

"I'm glad you think so," she said as her smile returned. "But really, do I have to make those pies?"

"Going back on your word?"

"N-no!" Her smile quickly shifted to dismay. "It's just..."

"How's this? If you can find a suitable replacement for your pies, I'll let you off the hook."

"Really?" Her eyes shined excitedly. "Okay, deal!"

The Captain chuckled softly. "A deal made in haste can lead a pirate to ruin and waste."

"What?"

"Just something my old captain used to say."

"Your captain?" She seemed intrigued. "Who was he?"

"Well, we never knew his real name, but we all just called him Germania. Captain Germania."

"Tell me more about him."

"Not now, love." The ruins slowly appeared through some thick foliage on the shore. A small beach stretched out in front of the leafy forest, and Arthur steered his ship close. "It looks like we've arrived."

The crew assembled on deck once the Queen Lady settled herself and dropped anchor. The Captain picked a small handful of able-bodied men to accompany him and the mermaid in the ruins. They took a few small rowboats to the sandy beach and took a look around before making an attack plan.

"Alright you lot, I want two groups. I'll lead the first, and Christov will lead the second. The mermaid will come with me, and we will cover the western side of the ruins. Whoever finds...whatever it is first will be rewarded with gold." A murmur of excitement followed the Captain's words. "Let's get moving!"

Arthur lead his group into the the green foliage. He drew his cutlass to hack through the large, leafy plants, but they hardly seemed affected by the deft strokes. His group fought their way through the undergrowth until they reached the gray stone ruins that was their destination. The place was worn down and crumbling after what could have been centuries of neglect, but as Yao had warned there were signs of recent human activity.

Captain Kirkland bent down to touch some ashes from a recently extinguished fire before turning to address his party. "Be on the lookout. There's no knowing who's been here."

"That's a bit eerie right there."

"Don't think 't was spooks, do ya?"

"Don' be stewpid. Spooks don' light fires."

There was a general grumbling of uneasiness as the group pushed on. Stone pillars lay collapsed on the ground around them, which they had to climb over to get to the main structure of the ruins. Many of the columns had moss or creepers growing over them making it hard to balance. The Captain offered the mermaid a hand over the last fallen pillar in front of the large, hopefully abandoned structure.

"What do you think it is we're looking for?" she asked as she landed on the spongy soil.

"Not sure," Arthur replied. "I hope we find it fast."

"Why? Scared?"

"No! I just get a bad feeling about this, that's all."

He held her hand a little longer than necessary before turning to walk toward the ruins. It could have been a large meeting hall or temple at one time, but the elements had reduced the stone structure to nothing more than what looked like a mass of gray rocks being swallowed by the forest around them. A chill went down the Captain's neck as he approached the dark entrance. Every nerve stood on end, and he really wanted to turn back and forget about the whole thing.

"The other group should be inside by now," he mumbled more to himself than anything. He took a deep breath and stepped inside.

It was dark. Really dark. Arthur couldn't even see his nose as he walked down the corridor, which was rather damp and echoed every sound. Some of the men behind him lit the torches they brought along, and soon everything was visible. The Captain blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light. Strange images of half naked men and dragons danced in his vision, or so he thought until he realized they were carved into the walls along either side of the hallway.

"Wot do ya suppose they mean, Cap'n?"

"I haven't a clue," Arthur told the curious crew member. He had never seen anything like this before.

"It looks like they're worshiping something."

The Captain turned to see what the mermaid was referring to. She stood in front of an image that depicted men on their knees bowing to an odd cat shaped object. Or at least something that looked like a cat's head. All the other men and dragons on the walls seemed to be running toward the cat head.

"I swear I've seen this figure before," she said as she pointed to the cat.

"Maybe we'll find out more the further we go," Arthur replied. The pictures creeped him out even more, but he couldn't back out now. Continuing was their only option.

"Hm. Maybe." The mermaid turned to follow him when her foot pressed some kind of trigger in the floor.

Arthur reacted before he could think. He reached out toward her just as the floor beneath her feet retracted into the wall. All he could see were her panicked eyes as she fell. A grunt tore at his throat as he caught her by the arm and landed heavily on the ground next to the hole. The mermaid dangled over gaping darkness that threatened to swallow her whole if Arthur let go. He didn't intend to.

"You're slipping!" she cried.

The Captain felt it. Too much of his body was hanging over the drop, and little by little, he was sliding toward it. There was nothing for him to brace himself with.

"Just let go!"

"Not...a chance!"

The words barely made it out between his clenched teeth when he lost all contact with the ground and fell head first into the darkness.

~000~

He woke up to the worst headache of his life. Then panic washed over him as he couldn't recall ever falling asleep. Captain Kirkland sat up with a start and immediately regretted it. He was sure stars would be floating in his vision if he could see anything at all. It was completely dark. He entertained the thought that he might have somehow gone blind, but pushed it away when it made his growing anxiety worse.

"Arthur? Are you finally awake?"

The Captain turned toward the mermaid's voice, but he couldn't see her. "(Y/n)?"

"Yeah, it's me. Hold still so I can find you."

There was a patting sound coming from Arthur's right, so he moved his hand in that direction hoping she would find it. He didn't realize what a relief it would be to even be able to feel someone else in the oppressing darkness. The mermaid locked her fingers with his and held on tight. He could tell by her touch that she was pretty worked up too.

"You must have hit your head when we fell because you didn't answer when I called," she said quietly. There was a slight tremor in her voice. "I knew you were okay because you kept groaning, but then you stopped and I was afraid..." She fell quiet and didn't finish her thought.

"It'll take more than a knock on the head to do me in, love." Arthur gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I found your hat." She put it where she must have thought his head was, but ended up shoving most of the feathers into Arthur's mouth and nose. "Oops. That wasn't right."

"Curse this darkness," the Captain hissed under his breath. He set the hat on his head as he tried to peer through the murk. "Can't see a thing."

"I didn't look around because I was afraid I'd get lost, but we can look around now that you're awake."

"Not that there's anything to see..." Arthur grumbled as he got to his feet. He also helped the mermaid to stand, and the two of them slowly began to shuffle their way through the darkness.

She squeezed his hand when his foot kicked a small rock across the floor. Her touch had a calming effect, yet still sent his heart beating wildly in his chest. She had more charm than she knew, this one. Arthur thought about this as his hand made contact with some kind of wall. He had never met anyone quite like her. She was brave and tough, even if she didn't always have the bite to go with the bark. The only selfish thing he had seen her do was forge the heart-bond, but the Captain didn't blame her for that. He would have done much worse to get out of the situation she was in.

"Can you tell me about your captain now?" she asked. Her voice echoed. "Or even better, tell me about how you became a pirate!"

"I'm not sure that's a story you want to hear."

"Please. I really need to know, and this darkness is weirding me out. If one of us doesn't talk, I'll go crazy."

Arthur paused. He had been following the wall for some time, but it didn't seem to be leading anywhere. As far as he knew, it might have been leading them in a big circle. With a sigh he kept walking and began to speak.

"I ran away from home not long after my mother left. My father was a drunk and had the largest gambling debt in our town. I left before his problems killed us both." The Captain went silent for a moment. "I stowed away aboard the Queen Lady. I knew when I saw it that it was a pirate ship, and I knew only pirates would take in a runaway."

"Just like Alfred," the mermaid mused. "Looks like it runs in the family." He could practically hear the smile in her voice.

"They found me and let me stay," Captain Kirkland said, ignoring her comment. "From there I worked my way up from the bottom. Christov was there back when old Germania was captain, but I'm the one who promoted him to first mate. Those were the good old days."

"What happened to your old captain?"

"No one's sure. We were out on a raid when things went bad. Most of us made it out alive, but Germania and his first mate weren't one of them. We never found their bodies, so it's hard to say if they died. Some of us thought they used the whole thing as a reason to run away."

"What do you think?"

"Don't know. He was a weird one, the old captain, but he sure knew how to whip them into shape." Arthur sighed wistfully. "I sure do miss that old man sometimes." As he said that, the wall under his hand disappeared. "Hold up." He probed the air with his hands, but there was nothing. "I think there's some kind of exit here."

Just as he said, there was some kind of tunnel leading out of whatever room they had fallen in. Arthur led the way through the tunnel. He couldn't tell if the tunnel was part of the ruins or if it had been made at a later time. It definitely led up though. A faint light appeared further along the tunnel after a while, and the Captain picked up his pace. He was tired of the perpetual darkness and longed for the sun.

The two of them stepped out into another hallway, one that was lit with crude torches attached to the wall. It was not the same passageway with the trap they had fallen in, but it had similar carvings on the walls. The mermaid stepped toward an image with the same cat head from before. Her brows furrowed as she contemplated the carving.

"I've seen this before, I just know it!"

The Captain stood beside her and watched her face. Light from the torches gleamed in her eyes and made her skin seem to glow. "I've never seen this before. This whole place is a mystery to me."

"Ooo, this bothers me so much." She crossed her arms and glared at the image as if her gaze could make it spill its secrets. "This is a real stubborn oyster."

"What?"

She turned her eyes toward Arthur. "A stubborn oyster. It's a mermaid expression, so I guess you wouldn't know. It's what we call a tough problem. Is there a human expression for something like that?"

The Captain had to stop to think. "I've heard some people say something about a tough nut to crack, but I don't really say it myself."

"What's a nut?"

"They're seeds that come from trees. They're usually very hard, but good for eating." He looked at her oddly. "You've never heard of nuts before?"

"They kind of sound like these big brown things that we see hanging from palm trees on the beach. What are they called again...coconuts?"

Arthur laughed. "I guess they're a bit like that, but not really." He placed a hand on the mermaid's head. "You really don't know that much about our world, do you, love?"

"I guess not." She smiled and shrugged. "But I'd like to learn."

The Captain raised a brow. "Really? I thought you hated having legs."

Her smile faded. "I did but..." She smiled again. "There's a lot I like about having legs now."

"Such as?"

"Jumping, dancing, climbing with Squeaker, and playing cards with James. I like arm wrestling with Christov and sneaking into the larder with Peter and Alfred. Most of all...I like being with you." She glanced up at him quickly before looking away.

Arthur was stunned. He knew there was something between them, but he had no idea she felt this way. "So it is you...it's you!"

She looked shocked. "What's me?"

"These feelings. They're yours!" Arthur placed his hand on his chest. "The heart-bond. I've just been feeling your emotions this whole time."

"N-no! No!" Her face shifted to a more frantic expression. "I mean, it's true that I have feelings, but I'm not transferring them to you. At least I don't think I am. You have to believe me."

"How?" Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Mermaids are notorious heartbreakers. How do I know you're not just playing me?"

"I'm not, I swear! You just have to believe me." She stepped closer to him, and he could see tears forming in her eyes.

The Captain didn't know what to think. He felt like he was being torn in half. Part of him was sinking under the weight of his doubt while the other part desperately wanted to reach out and wrap the mermaid up in his arms. He's had a fair share of hurts in his time. There was a scar on his back that went from shoulder blade to the opposite hip, and another on his stomach right above his naval. Getting hurt was part of being a pirate, as was hurting others, but as he watched pain swirl in the mermaid's eyes he couldn't bring himself to hurt her. His heart may have been one of the least scarred parts of his body, but he was willing to put that on the line for her.

"Come here." He drew her in and held her tightly in his arms. "It's okay. I believe you. There's no need to cry, love."

"I'm scared, Arthur," she murmured against his chest. "I've never been in love before."

He froze at her words. He wasn't expecting that, nor what came next. She laughed. A real laugh straight from her core. "What's so funny?"

"It feels so much better getting that out there." She peeked up at him with wide, sparkling eyes.

"I suppose it is."

Then Arthur went out on a limb. He kissed her. He didn't know if he felt exactly what she did, but he didn't care. The Captain just wanted to make her smile and keep her smiling. He tangled his hand in the mermaid's hair and trailed his hand down her spine. She gasped. She wasn't the first girl he had kissed, but she was the first one to light a fire in his chest. He couldn't get enough.

He nipped playfully at her bottom lip before demanding entrance with his tongue. She complied, but hesitantly. Arthur smirked against her lips. She was so new to this whole thing, but he didn't mind teaching her. His free hand moved to the mermaid's waist and started to tug at her starched white shirt. It slipped out from where it was tucked into her trousers, and the Captain slowly trailed his fingers across her bare stomach.

"Arthur!" she gasped.

He took the opportunity to attack her lips with new fervor. A grunt lodged in his throat when she nipped roughly at his tongue as it tried to explore. Arthur always did like his girls a little feisty. He moved his free hand to the small of her back and trailed it back up her spine taking her shirt with it. Being a gentleman, he stopped before she became too exposed. She arched against his touch and clutched at the back of his coat as she kissed him back.

Suddenly, there was a faint shuffling, and Arthur froze. The mermaid pulled back and gazed at him questioningly. "What is it?"

"I thought I heard something." He heard the strange sound again only it was from behind them this time. "There."

"Smelling, yes. I smelling something tasty. Long time since people fall in pit. We not have people meat for long time. Only rats. Banksy don't remember the last time Banksy had people meat, kekekeke."

"What is that?" the mermaid whispered in terror.

Arthur paled. "Cannibals."


	22. Chapter 22

I didn't know what Arthur meant by cannibals, but the way his face lost all of its color made me nervous. He wasn't the type to show fear. "What's a cannibal?"

"A human that eat other humans."

My stomach flipped. I've never heard of anything so disgusting before. "Why? That's so awful..."

He looked down at me with tense eyes. "No one ones why they do it, but the taste of human flesh makes them mad. We need to get out of here. Now."

We turned to run away from the deranged voice, but before we could, another voice echoed from the other end of the hall. "Banksy? That Banksy? You smells it too, Banksy? People meat...Hewbert likes the people meat."

Arthur swore. "We're cut off."

"What do we do?" I felt panic clawing its way up my spine.

"We fight." The pirate silently drew his blade with one hand and his revolver with the other.

I swallowed nervously. My knife felt cold as I pulled it from its vibrant red sheath, or it may have been that my skin was feverish with anticipation. Shuffling sounded from both ends of the hall, but we couldn't see anything around the corners. Arthur and I stood back to back as we waited for the cannibals to arrive, and so they did.

A single head peeked out from around the corner. The man looked completely normal, until he smiled. All of his teeth had been filed to points. "Hello, tasties." His eyes darted back and forth between us. "Banksy not seen tasties for long time."

"Two for eats! Hewbert didn't think two."

The second voice sounded closer than before, but I didn't dare look away from the man who called himself Banksy. I heard Arthur cock his gun. I've never had to fight before, and the thought of plunging my knife into flesh made me feel sick. Banksy stepped out from around the corner and tilted his head. It looked like he was studying us, but not in the way one would seize up an enemy. He was looking at us like food.

"Tasties falled down our hole. Banksy not see tasties for a long time." He licked his lips.

"Banksy leave some for everyone else," the one who called himself Hewbert said. "We all wants them for eats."

I swallowed nervously. "We?"

"Tasties speaks!" Banksy looked even more delighted.

"We can take just two," Arthur growled. "Wait until they get closer."

"Heeheehee! Hewbert is so hungry. We eats them now, yes?"

"YES!"

The answer boomed around the hall. I jumped in surprise at the magnitude of the volume. A huge hoard of cannibals appeared behind Banksy, and I assumed behind Hewbert too because I felt Arthur tense behind me. They were so quiet it wasn't human.

"Time for eats!"

The crowd hissed and snapped their pointed teeth as they closed in on us. Eagerness shined in their eyes, but they didn't dare get too close. Their wariness showed intelligence, yet everything else about the cannibals' screamed insanity. I was intrigued. That feeling was soon swallowed up by fear as someone behind me shouted. I turned in time to see one of the deranged men leap at Arthur. The pirate stepped aside and brought his cutlass down mercilessly. Blood flowed and screams filled the air.

"Yensin! Big food hurted Yensin!"

"Smell good! Yensin for lunch, mmmmm!"

"Oya want the big munchie! Kill big munchie!"

Three more cannibals charged Arthur, who fought them off with ease. The others seemed too distracted by the fight to come after me. Hoots and hollers were thrown at the fighters in the same way a child would throw bits of coral at a turtle. There was no reaction, but it was fun to do. I watched Arthur cut down a crazed female before turning his attention to an older man with some kind of stone blade. Arthur blocked and parried his sporadic, method-less attacks. I gaped involuntarily as the man's crude blade slipped past Arthur's defenses and carved a long, jagged cut on his arm. The pirate's gaze momentarily shifted toward me, but it was long enough for another cannibal to sneak up behind him.

"Arthur! Look out!"

I was too late. The cannibal hit him on the back of the head with a fist sized rock. Arthur's eyes rolled back and he crumpled to the ground like a pile of limp seaweed. My hand covered my mouth, and I stepped forward to reach him. Several cannibals blocked my path and hissed. They brandished a variety of crude weapons, and one had even picked up Arthur's cutlass from where it had fallen.

"Only one more tasty left."

"Hama wants the eyeses!"

"Leave the tongue for Rute!"

I was completely surrounded in a matter of seconds. Hungry eyes gleamed at me while drool dripped in long strings from gaping mouths. I held up my knife with shaking hands and pointed it at anyone that moved. They seemed to sense my fear and smiled even wider than before.

"S-stay back," I managed to get out with all the courage I could muster, which wasn't much. My eyes strayed to Arthur, who lay unmoving on the ground with a few of the cannibals sniffing him curiously. "Get a-away from him!"

"Food makes much noise."

"Eating time yet?"

"Hewbert want eats now!"

The one called Hewbert stepped closer and bore his sharp teeth. It was a feral grin full of savage desire for food. For human flesh. I momentarily entertained the thought that I wasn't actually human, but I doubted it would make much of a difference. My heart beat faster with each step the crazy man took, and my hands shook to the point where I was afraid I would drop my knife.

"Tasty, tasty, red and bloody," Hewbert sang. His hands reached out toward me.

"N-n...no!" Something inside me snapped at that moment, and I sliced at his hand.

He howled as bright blood welled up from the clean cut across his knuckles. I watched in disgust as he licked at it like a wounded animal. With some strange confidence I didn't know I possessed, I pointed my blade into the crowd and met their gazes with a steely expression. They shifted uncomfortably as if they could sense the change in my demeanor. A few backed away, and several others cowered in fear of my bitting blade.

"Look! Look on the shiny point stick!" There was excited whispering as each cannibal conversed with his or her neighbor.

"Munchie is princess!"

"Princess?"

"Princess! Princess!"

They all dropped their weapons and crowed around me before I could process their words. Each person tried to touch me or pull me in one direction or the other. In all the commotion, I lost track of Arthur until I spotted him being carried away with the bodies of the cannibals he killed.

"Arthur!"

"Princess come! Come eating with us! Lots of food now! Three peoples for eats!"

* * *

Captain Kirkland wished for death. It was the second time that day that he had woken up without remembering falling asleep, and it wasn't a habit he really wanted to start forming. His head also hurt like it was about to split apart. Something warm dripped slowly from the back of his head, and he knew without having to look that it was blood. The floor he was laying on stank of it.

Arthur pried his eyes open and looked around. Even lying faced down he could tell he was in a bad spot. The Captain forced his sore body to move as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. He glanced around to see the two cannibals he had killed lying on the ground next to him. This must have been some storage area for bodies before they were eaten. Arthur noticed the temperature was quite low, and wondered if the savages knew anything about preserving food.

He bit back a curse as he heard loud shouts from the other side of a thick wooden door. That could only mean one thing. He looked around for the mermaid, and his heart stopped. She was nowhere to be seen. The worst possible thoughts filled the Captain's mind as panic gripped his heart with icy fingers. What if they had eaten her already? What if she was being cooked up right now? What if they didn't cook their food before eating it? What if they preferred their meals alive?

The one glimmering bit of knowledge that kept Captain Kirkland from going insane was the fact that he was alive. The fact that his heart was still beating meant hers was too. He stood up, which was met with protest from his stiff legs, and looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon. His cutlass and revolver were gone, but he still had one other revolver and a few other smaller weapons hidden on his person. The cannibals hadn't bothered to search him. He still needed something bigger than some hidden knives though.

"This'll have to do," he muttered as he picked up a metal bar that had been lying on the floor. There was no telling why it was there or what it was used for, but the worst kept coming to Arthur's mind.

Then the door shook. Arthur took an offensive stance with his crude weapon ready to knock the daylights out of whoever was trying to get in. He wasn't about to be made into lunch. The mermaid's smiling face appeared in his mind, which only made his determination stronger. He had to find her before it was too late. The door shook again, as if someone were determined to get inside. Arthur's grip tightened. The door burst open, and he swung.

"Arthur!"

The Captain stopped mid-swing. His corroded metal bar hovered a hairsbreadth from the mermaid's nose. She looked up at him with a shocked, but also slightly amused expression. It was like she expected this. Arthur moved his weapon away, and it fell out of his hands. The relief that flooded through him was so intense that he nearly collapsed. Instead, he gathered the mermaid up in his arms and held her tightly. She smelled so lovely, even covered in dirt and blood. The Captain held her out at arms length in alarm.

"Are you hurt? Where's all this blood from?" he questioned.

"Hm? This?" She looked down at her blood streaked arms and legs. "It's not mine."

That's when Arthur noticed the bloody knife in her hand, and some strange golden object in the other. One of his brows quirked up in curious amusement. "What have you been up to, love?"

"I'll tell you later. Right now we need to run."

The words were barely out of her mouth before angry shouting and screeching started to echo from outside the room. Arthur's eyes widened, and he looked down at the mermaid for some kind of explanation. She just bit her lip and handed him his cutlass and revolver. He took them from her and sighed.

"As long as I'm running with you, love, I don't care why."


	23. Chapter 23

"So, I think you owe me an explanation."

The Queen Lady bobbed on the dark sea as her crew directed her away from the Gulf of Misery. Arthur and the mermaid stood on deck watching the sun set over the watery horizon. Behind them was the Eastern Continent and the Ruins of Tantus. The Captain's eyebrows furrowed unintentionally when he thought about what a hassle it was to get out of the cannibal-infested ruins.

After the mermaid had found him, they had run for their lives around in the maze-like ruins while trying to find an exit. The cannibals had been on their heels the whole time. Eventually, they had found a spot where the wall had crumbled enough to open up to the overgrown forest outside. The two made it back to the spot where they entered and found the crew members they had left behind waiting. Apparently, there was nothing of interest at the end of the hall, and they couldn't find any way to get down below where the Captain and the mermaid had fallen other than the hole. Arthur had chewed them out for being cowards.

The mermaid sighed from Arthur's right, which brought him back to the present. She held up the strange object she had been holding since she found the Captain in the ruins. It was oval shaped and fit comfortably in her palm. There were two small points on the top, and one of them had something that looked like a bow on it. The whole thing seemed oddly familiar.

"It was so weird," she said after a while. "After they got you, I...I attacked one of them. Then they all freaked out over my knife." She drew the blade, now free of blood, with her free hand and stared at the Leviathan design. "They started calling me Princess and dragged me away to some strange room with more carvings."

"Yes, go on," Captain Kirkland urged after she went silent.

"That was where I found this." She held up the gold object. "I don't know why, but I just knew this is what we were looking for."

Arthur inwardly kicked himself. He had forgotten all about the thing Yao wanted them to find. "And then what?"

"I didn't want to grab it with all of them looking, so I had to wait for a bit. They were all really excited to have me there, so it was hard to get away. I asked one of them...Banksy I think...where they took you. He told me, and then I...I..." She lowered her head.

"What happened, love?" Arthur didn't know what to do. She seemed so upset. He hesitantly wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her a gentle kiss right above her ear. "It's alright. You can tell me."

"I couldn't get him to leave me alone, so...I...I killed him."

"(Y/n)-"

"But that's not it!" The mermaid looked up with pain filled eyes. "With his dying breath...he said to me, 'killer'. I'm a killer, Arthur. A heartless, cold blooded murderer."

Silence replaced her quiet words. The Captain didn't know what more he could do for her, so he pulled her closer. "He wasn't wrong."

"What?!" She looked like she was about to fall apart like a delicate glass bauble on the edge of a table.

Arthur grabbed her wrist before she could run away. "What was is he called you?"

"K-killer..."

"Princess." The mermaid froze and turned around. "They all said it. You're a princess. Don't ever let anyone say otherwise."

"You...you really mean it?"

The Captain smiled. "Of course, princess."

She managed a smile and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Arthur."

"Is that all I get?" he asked mischievously.

The mermaid leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Arthur ran a hand through her hair and savored the salty scent that clung to her. It reminded him of the ocean on a calm summer day.

A wolf whistle sounded beside them as a few crew members walked past. "Nice catch, Cap'n!"

Arthur pulled away and blushed fiercely. The mermaid just laughed, her previous unhappiness gone. "Oh, Arthur!" She laughed some more.

He couldn't help but smile despite his embarrassment. "I'm just glad you're smiling again, princess." Her smile grew. "You haven't finished your story yet."

"Oh...well...after all that I ran to grab this...whatever it is, and I went back for you. On my way back to you they must have found the body because that's when all the screaming started."

The Captain softly chuckled. "You clever girl."

She shrugged. "Still. Let's never do that again."

"Agreed."

"And I don't think I owe you pies anymore."

Arthur thought about it and nodded. "Yes, I suppose you're right."

She laughed. "Now, to get this back to Yao."

Captain Kirkland narrowed his eyes. "He better have a bloody good explanation for all of this."

* * *

"Ai-yah! You really did it, aru!" Yao held the golden object up to admire. "I didn't think I'd see you again, aru."

"And why would that be?" Arthur asked with narrowed eyes. I could tell his frustration was growing.

"Every group I sent out never came back," Yao answered. "But now I have what I want, aru!"

"Um, what is that exactly?" My curiosity had gotten the better of me, and I couldn't help but ask.

"It's an idol of the ancient god of everything cute!" he replied as he rubbed the object adoringly against his cheek. "The god Shinatty, aru! I have a scroll over there, see?"

I looked at the scroll hanging in his small office and clapped my hands. "So this is why it looked so familiar! That's exactly what the carvings inside the ruins looked like!"

"The ruins full of cannibals," Arthur growled.

Yao must have felt the sudden chill in the air because he stopped adoring the golden Shinatty in his hands. "Er...I didn't know they were there...honest, aru."

Arthur placed his hands on the shorter man's desk and leaned in close. "We got what you wanted, so tell us how to get through the fog."

"Well, I don't actually know-"

"WHAT?!" Arthur grabbed Yao by his collar and forcibly pulled him up out of his chair. "You sent us to our deaths to get you some silly trinket, and then you tell us you don't know anything?!"

"No...wait...I can...explain," Yao gasped as he tried to pry Arthur's hands away.

"I'm done with your excuses! I should kill you right now! They'd find your no good, lying corpse on the ground with that stupid trinket shoved up your-"

"Arthur!"

The pirate let go of Yao, who fell back into his chair and coughed for air. He adjusted his mussed collar and leaned back as if nothing had happened. "Not so tough with your girlfriend around, I see, aru."

In the blink of an eye, Arthur had his revolver cocked and pointed at Yao's head. "Say that again. I'd love to have an excuse to blow out your brains."

"Ahhh! I was kidding, aru!" Yao tried to move out of the way, but his office was too cramped for him to get far.

"Then tell me why you said you knew how to get through the mists."

"I-I have a relative, aru. North of here in Zenos. H-he knows, I s-swear."

"Why was I told you know if you don't?"

"Well, I do in a-a roundabout way, aru." Arthur moved the gun closer to Yao's face. "I-I told people that so they would find Shinatty for me!"

"Coward." Arthur lowered the gun and disarmed it before slipping it back into his coat. "Zenos is at least three days away. We've wasted enough time on this continent as is."

"And whose fault is that, aru," Yao mumbled under his breath.

It seemed to me that he didn't want Arthur to hear. Unfortunately for him, the pirate did. That's when all the depths of the ocean broke loose.

~000~

"Ouch! That hurts!" Arthur swatted my hand away from his face.

"Well, maybe if you held still it wouldn't hurt as much!" He crossed his arms stubbornly, and I went back to dabbing at the gash on his face with a damp rag. "It's your own fault for starting a fight."

After hearing Yao's comment, Arthur had jumped at the smaller man and began punching him with gusto. The commotion had attracted some attention, and soon three more much larger men had arrived to help Yao. At first I thought Arthur was done for, but he actually did pretty well on his own. We were kicked out of the tea shop eventually though. The funny thing was that the four other men were in much worse shape than Arthur. That wasn't to say he got away completely unscathed.

Arthur snorted. "That git was getting on my nerves. He deserved exactly what he- Ouch!"

"Sorry, sorry." I moved the rag away from his face as he winced.

"Can't you be a little more careful?"

"I'm trying! I don't enjoy watching you in pain you know."

"Sometimes I wonder..." he mumbled under his breath.

I narrowed my eyes and jabbed the cloth none too gently at his face. He howled in pain. "I enjoyed that one."

Arthur snatched my wrist and leaned in so close that our noses touched. "That hurt," he growled.

"It's your own fault," I replied.

His hand around my wrist tightened. "If I didn't love you so much, I'd throw you overboard right now."

"Well, it's too bad that I'm-" I paused mid-sentence as his words sunk in. "W-wait...what...did you just say?"

He pulled back and looked away just as a bright red blush appeared on his cheeks. "Well...er...I didn't...nothing...I didn't say anything." His blush intensified.

I was speechless. No one had ever told me anything like this before. I was completely stunned. "A-Arthur?"

He didn't turn to look at me, but I heard him mumble, "What?"

I pulled my wrist back and wrapped my arms around his sturdy chest. The smell of something musky and masculine wrapped around me, and I breathed in Arthur's scent hungrily.

"I love you too."

There was silence at first, but I soon felt him return my embrace. Something pressed softly onto the top of my head, and I knew it was his lips. His warm, perfect lips. My cheeks heated up from the intimacy of this moment. I could feel something fluttering in my stomach, and I tightened my hold on the pirate. Everything was so warm, so wonderful. I didn't want it to change.

"Are you going to finish fixing me up?"

"Hmm?"

"There's still blood dripping down my face you know."

"Oh!" I jumped back in time to see a thin trickle of blood slide down Arthur's cheek and drip onto the floor of his room. "Sorry! I'll get back to work."

I wiped away the blood with my rag and carefully pressed it against the wound. Cook had made some kind of poultice to be put in the gash, so I moved the rag away long enough to spread some into the cut. Arthur hissed in pain, but didn't protest otherwise. His emerald eyes weren't focused on me, but they sparkled like the jewel that shared their color. I was content to stare at them forever.

The sea was calm, and the two of us stood there without disruptions as then Queen Lady sailed north to Zenos. Everything was as it should have been.


	24. Chapter 24

We heard Zenos before we saw it. Arthur steered his ship around some large rocks into a small harbor, and then dropped anchor next to one of the docks. There was some kind of celebration going on in the town, and it was hard to hear anything above all the noise. I sat on deck with Peter watching the gentle breeze spin the pinwheel he had given me in Okonfo. There was nothing particularly impressive about the little toy, but it was fascinating to watch nonetheless.

"I wonder what's going on?" the young boy asked me.

"It's hard to say, little one. Maybe if you ask Arthur nicely he'll let you come."

"Yes!" He jumped up and grabbed my hand. "You should come ask with me too, (y/n)!"

I laughed. "Okay, if you insist." I handed him the spinning pinwheel and stood up. "Where is he?"

"Shouldn't you know?" Peter wiggled his large eyebrows suggestively.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, since you and Uncle are obviously snogging behind everyone's backs..."

I picked the young boy up with ease and walked to the edge of the deck. "What was that?"

"(Y/n) and Uncle sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Want to sing it again?" I asked as I flipped him so I was holding him by the ankles over the edge of the deck. One wrong move, and he would plummet head first into the icy waves below.

"Okay, okay! I'm just kidding!"

"Really?"

"Yes, yes! Don't let me fall!" I turned him right side up and set him down on the deck. Peter crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out at me. "That was mean!"

I knelt down next to him and put a hand on his head. "Don't worry, little one. I'd never let you fall." I gave him a quick little kiss on his forehead, which earned me a smile from him. "Now, let's go find Arthur."

* * *

The Captain didn't dislike festivals, but he wasn't particularly fond of loud noises. People crowded around him on all sides and shouted as men wearing strange costumes paraded down the street. Zenos wasn't as large as Xerux due to it being so far north, but there were still tons of people who had come out to line the streets for this festival. Large men carried things that looked like miniature shrines on poles, which the people bowed to and threw offerings.

Arthur had to turn around occasionally to make sure the mermaid and Peter were still nearby. He had a tough time keeping them close ever since they left the ship together. The boy kept begging to go see something, and the mermaid was a complete pushover when it came to saying no. The Captain was the same way when it came to Peter, but he was annoyed regardless.

"Can we go over there?"

"Well, I don't know. Maybe if Arthur isn't looking."

"Don't try to sneak off," Arthur called over his shoulder in a strict voice. "We have something more important to do, remember?"

"Right." The mermaid smiled apologetically to Peter. "Maybe later," she mouthed.

Captain Kirkland sighed and shook his head. She was such a free spirit, but he supped that's what he liked about her. He became a pirate to escape his terrible father, but also because the sea called to him. It was everything he wished he could be. Free. Strong. Untamable. Wild. He realized part of the reason he loved the mermaid was because she was all of those things. She was his ocean, yet at the same time she was its opposite. Gentle, caring, and considerate. Maybe that's why her hold on him was so strong.

"So, what is it that we're looking for, Uncle?"

Arthur looked down at the young boy. The strange relationship between the three here was somewhat amusing to the Captain. Both he and the mermaid were completely enamored with Peter, who adored both in return. Then there was the feelings between Arthur and the mermaid that almost made them slaves to each other. It was the most selfless and selfish thing Arthur had ever seen.

"Hello, Arthur? Anyone home?"

"Wha-?" He was startled by the hand waving in front of his face.

"You just spaced out all of a sudden," the mermaid said with concern.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just trying to figure out where to find this person that we're looking for." It wasn't the truth, but the Captain didn't think they needed to know what he had actually been contemplating.

"Who is this person?" Peter asked.

"We don't know. That's the problem."

"Should we ask around?" the mermaid questioned.

"I suppose..." Arthur wasn't keen on talking to strangers, but he didn't have any other options at this point. "I'll ask that person over there."

He approached a taller man with curly brown hair. The man had a rather sleepy expression on his face, and it seemed like would fall asleep on his feet even with the cacophony around him. The Captain had picked this man on purpose because of the way he looked. Usually, the people who looked the most clueless knew the most.

"Excuse me. I was wondering if you could help me find someone."

"Hmm?" The man's eyes moved down toward Arthur and stared at him sleepily.

"I'm looking for someone," the Captain repeated.

"Oh, I'm looking for someone too," the man replied. He smiled lazily. "Have you seen him?"

Arthur's eyebrows twitched in frustration. He wasn't getting anywhere with this idiot. Maybe he was as clueless as he looked. "No, I'm not from around here."

"Neither am I. I'm visiting my friend Kiku. Do you know Kiku?"

Arthur was about to reply when a short man with black hair pushed his way through the crowd toward them. "Heracles! You can't just disappear like that!" He seemed to notice the Captain for the first time and bowed respectfully. "Excuse me. I'm sorry for interrupting."

"It's fine," Arthur said with a wave of his hand.

"Hey Kiku, this guy is looking for someone. Maybe you know who it is," Heracles suggested.

"Um, perhaps." Kiku averted his eyes uncomfortably.

"I'm looking for a relative of Yao Wang. You wouldn't happen to know anyone like that, would you?"

Kiku's eyes went wide. "O-oh! But that's..." He stopped short and motioned to the Captain to follow. "This way please. My house is nearby."

Arthur nodded and turned to tell Peter and the mermaid that they were moving, but the two were nowhere to be seen. "Bloody perfect..."

"Is there a problem?" Kiku asked nervously.

"No, nothing at all," the Captain replied as he turned to follow the dark haired man. He didn't want to leave the other two behind, but this man seemed so nervous that Arthur was afraid if he said something it would scare Kiku away.

Kiku led him and Heracles to a small house away from the commotion of the festival. He took his shoes off before entering, so Arthur did the same to prevent offending anyone. The people of the Eastern Continent have strange traditions compared to people in other places. The Captain had to duck to avoid hitting his head on the doorway as he entered the house since it was built for people who were much shorter than him. Heracles didn't seem to notice and ended up running head first into the wood frame.

"Ow," he said without much emotion.

"Please have a seat," Kiku said. He brought out some green tea and crackers flavored with soy sauce on a tray and placed it on a low table.

Captain Kirkland sat cross legged on a cushion across from the short man while Heracles plopped down on the floor and began to snore. Apparently, he was as sleepy as he seemed. The room was sparsely furnished with the table and cushions being the largest pieces of furniture in the room. A few scrolls similar to the ones in Yao's tea shop hung on the walls, and a small bookcase containing a few odds and ends stood in one corner of the room. Arthur took all of this in before addressing Kiku.

"I'm here because I need to know how to get through the mists surrounding the Lunar Islands."

Kiku paled, which was hard to notice since his skin was already so pale to begin with. "And Yao told you I know how to do that."

"Yes."

He nodded slowly with his eyes on the table. "Would you like some tea?"

"That sounds perfect right now," Arthur answered with a sigh. This whole business of chasing people down was more tiring than he realized.

Kiku placed a steaming cup of tea in front of the Captain and took a sip out of a cup of his own. "I don't understand why Yao would send you to me," he said after a pause. "I do not know anything of the sort."

The Captain's grip on his cup tightened, and he had to set it down before he broke it. "So he lied?"

"It would seems so," Kiku agreed with a nod. "Yao is a business man, not a saint. He's only interested in making a profit."

Arthur swore loud enough to wake Heracles. The tall man shifted on the floor and went right back to sleep. "Well, that's bloody brilliant. What am I supposed to do now?" He didn't want to tell the mermaid they were back to square one.

"I, um...I've heard a rumor..." Kiku trailed off when he saw the intense light in Arthur's eyes.

"What rumor?"

"T-that there's a man on the N-Northern Continent that has sailed to t-the Lunar Islands and made it back alive. It's only a rumor but..."

"Where?!" the Captain demanded. "Where does this man live?"

"In B-Berd, or somewhere near there," Kiku stuttered.

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "How do I know you're not lying?"

"I have not asked you f-for anything. I have nothing to gain or lose by t-telling you."

There was a silence as Arthur studied the dark haired man's face. A small laugh escaped him. "I suppose you're right."

Kiku seemed relieved. "However, I would be very careful. I have heard that this man is very big and very frightening. The only reason he made it out alive is because death itself will not go near this man. Very frightening indeed."

The Captain thought that sounded exaggerated, but made a mental note to be wary just in case. "I'm sorry to bother you and run, but the sooner I leave for the Northern Continent the better."

"But it's just a rumor!" Kiku said in surprise.

"It's all I have to go off of right now," Arthur replied. "It's better than nothing."

The dark haired man nodded his head in understanding. "I suppose you are right." His dark eyes gleamed with a hint of curiosity. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you need to go to the Lunar Islands so badly? It is not an easy task."

The Captain took a moment to come up with the best answer. "I need to save someone very dear to me."

A smile tugged at the corner of Kiku's lips. "It was that girl, yes?" Arthur was surprised by how quickly he came to that conclusion. "I can tell you care about her quite a bit. She must be very special."

Arthur nodded. "Yes, she is." He couldn't help but smile as he thought of her bright and happy face. She really was the sunshine in his life.

"Ah, what it's like to be young. Seeing you young people makes me feel so old."

The Captain didn't know what to say since Kiku didn't look that old in his opinion. Instead, he stood up to take his leave. "I shouldn't impose any further on you."

"Oh, please don't worry! I am glad to have been of help." Kiku stood up as well and bowed.

"Farewell," Arthur said as he offered his hand. Kiku hesitantly reached out for it and gave it a quick shake.

"I do not quite understand your Western traditions," he admitted sheepishly. "But I wish you luck on your journey."

The Captain just smiled. He had thought the same thing about the Easterners before. Something told him that he and Kiku could be good friends if given the chance.

* * *

"Uncle Arthur is going to kill us," Peter said as we wandered around what was left of the festival. Most of the people had dispersed once the parade ended.

"Yeah, no kidding." I put another honey roasted chestnut into my mouth as we walked. It had been the nuts that distracted us and got us separated from the pirate in the first place. Now, there was no sign of him anywhere.

"It's been almost an hour. Do you think he went back to the ship?"

"Maybe," I murmured, my voice full of worry. "Maybe he's in trouble."

The two of us looked at each other and laughed. "No way!" Peter said between laughs.

"I guess that was silly," I replied as I wiped away a tear. "But seriously, where did he go?"

"Right here."

We turned to see Arthur strolling toward us with a strangely happy expression on his face. I thought he'd be furious that we'd wandered off. He actually looked like he had a pretty good time on his own, which made me curious as to what he had been up to.

"Uncle..." Peter looked around nervously. "We didn't mean to disappear, honest."

Arthur smiled and ruffled his hair. "I know." The pirate nabbed some of the roasted chestnuts out of the bag in Peter's hands and popped them into his mouth. "What? You look like you've seen a ghost," he said to me.

"I'm just surprised to see you in such a good mood, I guess."

"Am I not allowed to be in a good mood?"

"No, it's not like that." I really didn't know how to explain it. It seemed so out of character for him. I didn't dislike it though.

"Then what is it?"

"It's just different. What happened to make you so happy?"

"I don't know. Maybe I just missed you." He gave me a quick peck on the cheek before turning to head back to the ship. "Hurry up! We're leaving for Berd as soon as we get back aboard the ship."

"What was that?" Peter asked with wide eyes after Arthur was a fair distance ahead of us.

"I have no idea," I said completely mystified.


	25. Chapter 25

Arthur wasn't exactly sure what had brought on his unusually good mood from three days earlier. He had been contemplating it as the Queen Lady sailed closer and closer to Berd, but the Captain was no closer to an answer than he was in Zenos. The only thing he could possibly think of that perhaps had the slightest bit to do with it was the conversation he had had with Kiku. For whatever reason, it had made him feel good about his situation. Lucky almost. The way the dark haired man had picked up on the relationship between Arthur and the mermaid made the whole thing seem just a little more real to Arthur.

It's not that he doubted its legitimacy per se, but it was nice to know he wasn't the only one who saw it. Well, he and his crew. The Captain still couldn't quite put his finger on what it was that made him so happy, but there was no doubt it had something to do with the mermaid.

"Hey, how much further?" The mermaid seemed to appear beside the Captain by magic. He had been too preoccupied to notice her walk up the stairs to join him at the helm.

"If my calculations are correct, we should be there soon," he replied.

"Oh good." She smiled brightly.

Yes, his happiness was definitely her doing. Part of the reason Arthur had become a pirate was to escape his horrible father, but also because he loved the sea. It was everything he wished he could be. Strong. Free. Untamable. Wild. He saw a lot of those traits in the mermaid too. That's probably why he was so inexplicably drawn to her. On the other hand, she was almost the exact opposite of those things as well. She could be gentle, caring, and so very fragile. The Captain almost liked those things about her more than the others.

"It's getting cold out here, isn't it." She shivered and began to briskly rub her arms.

Arthur inwardly kicked himself. Her borrowed outfit was not very warm, and he hadn't bought her anything warmer in Xerux or Zenos. She was wearing her usual white button down shirt with brown trousers. The whole outfit was actually very masculine with its long white stockings and thick leather belt, but somehow she made it look very appealing. Almost too appealing in Arthur's opinion. He remembered running his fingers over her flat stomach when they kissed in the ruins, and he wondered how she'd react if he did that now.

"Here." He let to of the wheel long enough to shrug off his coat and hand it to her.

"Won't you get cold?" she asked as she accepted the heavy garment.

"No. Besides, I have more coats than that one."

"Okay, then I guess it's alright." Arthur watched her slip her arms through the coat, which was rather big on her, before she snuggled up beside him. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, princess. Just don't lose what I've got in the pockets," he answered with a hint of a smirk. "Now, if only this blasted fog would disappear. I can't see a bloody thing."

"Maybe I can help with that."

The mermaid took a few steps away from Arthur and raised her arms. It wasn't particularly cold, but he already missed her presence beside him. However, his thoughts were momentarily forgotten as he tried to figure out what she was up to. Her face shifted into one of concentration, and the very air seemed to go still in anticipation. That's when Arthur realized the air had gone still. The fog had stopped swirling around like it usually did as if frozen, suspended in place.

It was a very surreal experience, and the Captain almost wondered if he was dreaming. Murmurs of surprise could be heard from the deck below as the men posted around the ship to watch for hidden obstacles in the mist noticed its sudden lack of movement. The mermaid slowly lowered her arms and exhaled, and at the same time the fog began to fall toward the ocean. It was as if the ocean were drawing all of the moisture back into itself. Within a matter of seconds, the entire area was completely free of fog.

"How...did you...?"

The mermaid shrugged. "Ocean magic. I figured that fog is water, so I made the ocean suck up all the water."

Arthur's stomach clenched upon hearing the words ocean magic. "Are you sure you can do that? Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said with a smile, although there was a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead that wasn't there before. "According to Vladimir, this Leviathan charm acts like a kind of catalyst." She touched her fingertips to the silver fish hung around her neck. "I think as long as I don't overdo it, I shouldn't have to worry about running out of ocean magic. This charm absorbs it for me."

"I hope you're right, love."

She smiled at him, and through the smile he could tell she thought he was worrying too much. He raised one eyebrow challengingly, to which she laughed softly.

"Ehem." They both turned to see Christov standing at a distance. "Now that the fog's gone, Squeaker says 'e can see land up a'ead."

The Captain reached into his breast pocket for his compass to check their heading. The ship was still on track for Berd, so he nodded to his first mate. "We'll need a landing party," he instructed. "I want you and Cutter to come with me and (y/n). Everyone else is to stay aboard the ship."

Christov's lips twitched downward for a brief moment. "They ain't gonna be 'appy t' 'ear that, Cap'n."

"Well, tell the gits that if they have a problem they can come talk to me directly." Captain Kirkland's tone made it clear that there should be no one approaching him over this matter. "I don't want to stay here longer than I have to."

"Aye, Cap'n," the burly man said with a nod before leaving to convey the Captain's orders to the crew.

Arthur looked out to sea and could just make out the Northern Continent on the horizon. It would be about an hour or so before he could drop anchor. There was a rather long gap since his last time arriving in Berd. He didn't make it a habit to travel this far north, especially since the business was poor and the people just as lacking in hospitality. That was the whole reason he wanted Cutter and Christov with him. The more muscle he had, the safer he felt.

About an hour and a half later, the Captain, Christov, Cutter, the mermaid, and much to Arthur's annoyance, Alfred, we're walking through Berd looking for the man Kiku spoke of. Unfortunately, they weren't having much luck. None of the locals were very friendly, if they stopped to talk at all. The ones that did had no interest in talking about the man they were looking for. They all seemed scared.

"Wot now?" Cutter growled as another person scampered away from the group in terror. His low, gravelly voice echoed through the empty street.

"Should we find someone else?" the mermaid wondered out loud.

"Why bother?" Captain Kirkland muttered darkly. "None of these blokes seem all that talkative."

"There's gotta be somethin' we can do." Christov folded his thick arms in thought.

"Hey, I'll go ask in that bar over there!" Alfred said.

He didn't wait for anyone's opinion and hurried away, albeit with a slight limp. The boy had assured the mermaid he was healed enough for walking around, but he couldn't hide the slight hitch in his gait. He had only been off his crutches for a few days, and the Captain suspected he was in a lot more pain than he let on.

"Fool," Cutter spat. He pulled out a knife and began cleaning under his nails with it. There wasn't a hint of concern in his voice or actions.

"Should someone go after him?" the mermaid asked.

"If he doesn't come out soon, he never will," Arthur replied.

It was true that the pubs and taverns in Berd were not friendly places unless one had gold to spend on drinks, and friends to swill drinks with. The air around this bar smelled strongly of stale beer and vodka, and the Captain didn't doubt that all the bars in this town smelled the same way. When it was cold out like it was that day, the taverns usually filled up with people trying to drink away their troubles. This place was no exception.

After what seemed like forever, Alfred finally emerged from the pub with a triumphant smile on his face. He practically ran to where the other four were nervously waiting for him. The scent of alcohol clung to the boy and stung Arthur's nose as the young man approached.

"I know where we need to go to find this guy!"

The Captain raised a questioning brow. "And how did you come across this information?"

"That's not important right now," Alfred replied. His confident demeanor slipped for just a moment, but Arthur didn't fail to notice. "We need to get to the house at the top of this hill." He pointed to a lone house perched at the peak of a rather tall hill. The road they stood on led straight to it. "That's where the guy we're looking for is."

Arthur closed his eyes and slowly let out a breath, which swirled in a white vapor around his head. He didn't like being told what to do by an upstart whelp like Alfred, but he didn't have much of a choice. "Alright. Let's get moving."

"Aww yeah!" Alfred cheered. "Let's do this thing, Big Bro."

The Captain immediately regretted going along with the brat.

It took a while to get to the house Alfred pointed out due to the steep incline of the hill. Arthur came to the conclusion that whoever decided it was a good idea to put a house on top of a huge hill deserved the most painful of deaths. He had to take a break before knocking on the heavy wooden door to catch his breath. Alfred looked especially tuckered out by the hike, and Arthur almost felt concerned for the boy. Almost. The Captain knocked three times, and then waited.

"Coming!" shouted a female voice from inside. The door swung open, and a rather buxom young woman with short blonde hair stepped out to greet the tired group. "Oh, we weren't expecting guests."

"We're looking for the man who crossed through the mists around the Lunar Islands," Arthur explained without prelude.

The woman's eyes darkened for a second. "I-I think you have the wrong house."

"No, I don't think we do."

"Katyusha, who's at the door?" A very tall man appeared in the doorway behind the woman and smiled at the Captain and his group. "Guests! How fun, da?" His smile was innocent, yet there was something almost sinister about the man.

"I take it then that you're the one who traveled through the mists?" Arthur asked. "We've been looking for you."

"Looking...for me?" The man's purple eyes went wide. "Did you hear that, sister? They were looking for me!"

"Yes! That's wonderful, Ivan!" The two in the doorway beamed at each other.

Arthur cleared his throat to get their attention. "There's important business we have to discuss with you, if you really are who everyone says you are."

"Da! Come inside! We can talk more where it is warm, da?"

The man stepped back to allow the group outside to enter. Every warning bell inside the Captain's head was going off, but he had to go inside if he wanted to persuade the strange man to help him. Reluctantly, he stepped through the threshold and followed the man further into the house.

* * *

I was so glad to be out of the cold that I could have cried. Even with Arthur's coat on, I had bumps all over my arms. It took all of my willpower to keep my teeth from chattering. The moment we stepped into the house I could feel waves of heat coming from some huge opening in the wall of the front room. Inside of the hole was the largest fire I had ever seen.

"Wow, it's so big and warm," I sighed. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"It's what you'd call a fireplace," the woman the huge man had called Katyusha said. "It's really nice when it snows."

"Snow?"

"Da, snow." The tall man, Ivan, smiled down at me. "It only ever seems to snow here, except now in the summer. Do you like snow?"

"I'm not sure what that is," I admitted.

"No way!" Alfred shouted. He looked at me like I was insane. "You have to know what snow is!"

"I'm sorry?"

"It's not nice to interrupt other people's conversations, little man." Ivan glared at Alfred, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop. I began to understand what Arthur had meant when he told me what Kiku said about this man. Even death would shiver at the ice in his eyes.

"I-I'm sure he didn't mean any harm," Katyusha said in an attempt to smooth things over.

"What's going on?" A petite girl with long platinum blonde hair and a bow on top of her head walked into the room. "Who are these people, Big Brother?"

Ivan's expression completely changed from loathing to something that seemed akin to caution. Maybe fear even. "Oh, Natalya. We have some guests," he said in a well controlled voice.

The girl, Natalya, narrowed her eyes when she saw me. I squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze. "Why is there a girl here? Is she here for you, Big Brother? Did you tell her she can't have you? Big brother is mine! Mine!"

"I think I left some piroshki in the oven!" Katyusha burst out before Natalya became more hysterical. "Let's go get them for our guests, Natalya!" She quickly dragged the smaller girl out of the room.

I heard several sighs in the room other than my own. "This place's a whackhouse," I heard Cutter mumble under his breath.

"Sometimes I dream about running away," Ivan added as he pulled out a bottle of clear liquid from somewhere. "Vodka?" he offered me after taking a big swig.

"Um, no thank you."

"It really is good for when it's cold." He put the bottle back up to his lips and emptied it without taking a breath. I didn't think it was quite that cold outside.

"Can we get back to business?" Arthur asked from the other side of the room. He had been quiet since we entered the strange house, but I could tell he was growing impatient.

"Yes, of course!" Ivan answered with a smile.

"We need you to tell us how to get through the fog surrounding the Lunar Islands."

"That's impossible."

"What?!" I shouted at the same time as Arthur and Alfred.

"I thought you said you made it through!" Arthur exclaimed.

"I did."

"Then tell us how!"

"I can't."

The pirate muttered some colorful words. "We're wasting our bloody time..." He took a few steps toward the door, but Ivan moved to block his way.

"I can't tell you because I don't know how I did it," the tall man explained. "I can help you, but only on one condition."

"What?" Arthur practically spat with narrowed eyes.

"I have to go with you."

"What's in it for you?"

Ivan smiled wistfully. "The most beautiful fields of sunflowers grow on the islands. I want to see them. So you will take me, da?"

Arthur studied the other man's face intently. I could tell he sensed something very odd about Ivan, but we didn't have a choice at this point. No matter what kind of unknown dangers he presented, Ivan was our best chance. The pirate took one fleeting look at me before giving his answer.

"We leave in ten minutes. Once you're out that door, there's no changing your mind."


	26. Chapter 26

It only took Ivan a few minutes to gather up whatever he was planning to take with him. He also put on a long coat, scarf, and boots that put Arthur's to shame. A faint smile appeared on the tall man's face as he told us he was ready to leave. We started for the door, but Ivan paused before we could reach it.

"I should tell my sisters we're leaving." He turned around and walked away in the same direction Katyusha had dragged Natalya away earlier.

We waited in silence. Arthur stood with his arms crossed, and Cutter had a butterfly knife out this time and was expertly flipping it around. I was starting to understand why people called him Cutter. Alfred also watched the sullen man, but his eyes would occasionally flit toward me. His blue eyes that were usually so easy to read seemed blocked off and unreachable. He had been like that ever since the accident at the Fire Islands. Nothing was ever said about it, but there was an unbreachable gap between us now. We were friends, and that was all.

Ivan reappeared as those thoughts ran around my mind. "It is time to go now, da? And I would run if I were you. Katyusha can't hold Natalya for long."

His voice was deceptively calm, but the message was clear. We hurried out the door as fast as we could and hightailed it down the hill. I wasn't in any position to judge, but from what I had already seen of Natalya I knew that I didn't want to stick around to see how she would react to Ivan leaving. It was so much easier running down the hill than walking up, and I easily kept up with the men. The only one falling behind was Alfred, whose face began to betray the obvious pain he was in. I tried to get him to stay on the ship, but he insisted he was in good enough condition to join us.

"H-hey! Hold up a sec!" We slowed to a halt to wait for him. He was breathing hard and could barely speak when he caught up with us. "I need...to go in there...for a bit." He pointed to the same bar he had entered earlier to find Ivan's house.

"This ain't no time fer a drink, boy!" Cutter snapped.

"It'll be...fast...promise!" Alfred ran for the tavern.

"Son of a-" Christov nodded up to the top of the hill.

We all looked to see a small figure emerge from Ivan's house and swivel her head in search of us. Something that looked suspiciously like a carving knife gleamed in her hand. Ivan tensed and looked around frantically. There wasn't anywhere to hide except for the pub, but I got the feeling we wouldn't be welcome there. Especially with a crazy girl intent to kill following us.

"We need to go. Now," Ivan murmured. "Your friend will just have to stay behind."

"No!" I shouted a little too loudly. Natalya must have heard because her head instantly snapped in our direction.

"We have no choice!" Ivan began to run with Cutter and Christov close behind.

"We need to leave, love." Arthur pulled on my arm. "I don't know about you, but I would like to live another day."

"But we can't leave Alfred!"

"We have to."

By that point, Natalya was already halfway down the hill. I could see the strange glint of something ferocious in her eyes, even from this distance. Inexplicable fear coursed through my veins, and all thoughts of Alfred were erased from my mind. Then he burst out of the bar carrying a big bag that clinked as he walked.

"Okay, we can-"

"Move, brother!" Arthur grabbed his arm too, and we all ran for our lives.

By the time we got on the ship and raised anchor, Natalya stood on the docks and shouted things that put Arthur's curses to shame. I watched as her figure grew smaller and smaller. At least she didn't jump into the water. She had some rationality at least. My fears dissipated with each passing moment as the Queen Lady sailed away from Berd, but to where I had no clue.

"So, what was so important that you had to stop?" Arthur asked Alfred. The two stood behind me on deck.

"Had a little bet to win." Alfred held up his large bag and shook it. Whatever was inside clinked and jingled.

Arthur raised a large brow. "A bet? You were gambling? May I ask what on?"

"Me," Alfred said with a tired grin. "I bet some guys that I would come back alive if they told me where the big guy lived. Apparently, they thought they had a good chance of winning." He opened the bag to reveal it filled with gold coins.

"Maybe we can make a pirate of you yet," Arthur murmured. He wouldn't let it show, but I had the feeling he admired Alfred's cunning.

Alfred's smile grew almost cocky. "Was that a compliment, Big Bro?"

Arthur opened and closed his mouth several times before replying. "Look, about what I called you earlier. That just came out! I didn't mean-"

"It's alright. I get it. It did make me a little happy though."

Arthur appeared to be at a loss for words. He stared at his half-brother as if trying to figure out who was the crazy one. I thought they were both crazy. It would be so much easier if Arthur just got over himself, but that wasn't my choice to make. I just watched and hoped for the best.

"I never wanted a little brother." Alfred and I both looked at Arthur in surprise. "I thought I would be such a bad elder brother. I don't really have a choice now, so I might as well make the best of it." Arthur's cheeks flushed, and he wouldn't make eye contact with anyone. "Is that okay, brother?"

"You're the best big brother anyone could ask for!" Alfred jumped at Arthur and began hugging him tightly.

"Dang it, Alfred! Get off me before I pound your bloody face in!"

"Is this normal?" Ivan appeared next to me out of nowhere and looked down at me questioningly.

"N-no!" I answered, startled.

"How odd." He said that, but he smiled at the two brothers, who were now wrestling each other to the ground. "I wonder what it would be like to have a brother."

"You don't have any?"

"Nyet, just Katyusha and Natalya, and they are quite a handful. Perhaps it is good I do not have a brother," he said thoughtfully.

Suddenly, a shout came from the two wrestling on the deck. "Take that, you little git!" Arthur had Alfred pinned on his stomach with his arm behind his back.

"Okay, okay! I give up!"

"Say 'Captain Kirkland is the best'."

"Captain Kirkland is the best!"

"'Captain Kirkland is the strongest'."

"Captain Kirkland is the strongest!"

"'Captain Kirkland is the most handsome'."

"Captain Kirkland is...hey, that's not true!"

"Why you little!"

"Da," Ivan said with a nod. "Perhaps I do not need a brother."

I softly laughed at the crazy antics going on in front of me. As much fun as it was, I couldn't help but think of my older brother. What was Ray doing? Does he still work in the Guard? Is he well? I pondered all of this as I wondered if I'd ever see him again.

~000~

It was the morning of the second day after leaving Berd that we finally saw the infamous mist. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Usually, fog is everywhere. That wasn't the case here. It was as if some kind of invisible wall kept the fog from going out too far. I tried to see where the mist began, but I couldn't. I couldn't see through the fog either. There was definitely something magical at work.

"Now what?" Arthur asked Ivan.

"Just keep going straight."

The tall man had fit in pretty well during the short time that he had been here. Mostly because he kept to himself. The crew didn't bother him, and he didn't bother them. Peter was the only one who had no qualms about approaching Ivan and talking to him. Ivan was polite enough to indulge the boy for a while, but always managed to find a way to escape. The only ones he didn't seem to mind talking to was me and Arthur, but he despised Alfred for some indiscernible reason and never talked to him. Maybe it was a personality issue.

"How are we supposed to know where to go once we're in there?"

"You don't." Ivan watched the mist grow closer and closer. "It takes you where you need to go."

Arthur raised a questioning brow. "How?"

"It seems alive, doesn't it?" Ivan saw our confused expressions and smiled. "You will understand soon enough. I suggest you do not stay and watch if you are not strong in the mind."

His words sent a chill down my spine. I didn't know what to think of Ivan. On the surface he seemed normal, but his words said otherwise. That same innocent smile of his lingered as we slipped into the fog, but it soon was hidden from view. I knew he and Arthur were standing on deck beside me, yet I felt so utterly alone. The mists swirling around me seemed to be the only thing around.

"The beginning is the worst," I heard Ivan say from somewhere nearby, although he felt very far away. "Whatever you do, don't jump overboard."

I didn't know what to make of his words. They were sucked back into the fog so quickly that I almost forgot what he had said. I was tempted to reach out and find someone in the thick vapors surrounding me, but the overwhelming sense of isolation made me think I wouldn't find anyone anyway. Then it started moving. It was very subtle at first, but I was sure the fog was swirling with a mind of its own. I watched as it formed shapes and scenes that should not have been possible.

Right in front of my eyes, a figure that resembled a mermaid gracefully swam through the swirls of fog. She flicked her tail back and forth almost mockingly. My heart clenched, and my eyes flickered down to my legs. I couldn't see them through the fog. Suddenly, the mermaid was struck by mist lighting and melted back into the swirling vapors. My breath hitched in surprise. I knew it wasn't real, but I braced myself for a bolt of lightning to fly down and strike me as well.

Another figure emerged from the fog, but this time it was a human. A life-size human. She smiled wickedly at me and waved. I was too shocked to do anything in return. She watched me closely and took a few steps in my direction. I should have been terrified, yet I felt nothing. She raised a translucent hand and closed it around my neck. Her gray lips formed words, but nothing came out. I felt no pressure around my neck, but I couldn't breathe. I gasped and strained for air. Try as I might, no amount of struggling gave me relief. My thoughts were becoming hazy and the edges of my vision were becoming dark.

The darkness was swallowing me up. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. Not even a tear slipped out of my wide, panicked eyes. My mind raced, but could not focus on anything coherent. There was someone, someone important. I couldn't remember. But I had to!

A face. I remembered a face. It was scowling, which seemed to be the most natural expression for this particular face. The large things perched above its eyes seemed to be eyebrows. I wanted to laugh, but felt that I shouldn't. What drew my attention the most were the eyes itself. Green. A bright, clear green like the sea on a beautiful summer day. Beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking. I wanted to lose myself in those eyes, forget everything else, but I couldn't. The face began to fade from my vision and was replaced by the mist girl strangling the life from me

"No!" I shrieked. Even without air, my scream was piercing. "No! No, no, no!"

The mist girl smiled horribly. A low whistling sound filled my ears for just a moment, and then the smile faltered from the girl's face. We both looked down to see she had been sliced in half. Her expression contorted into one of rage before she melted back into the fog. I fell to my knees and coughed for air. It never occurred to me how wonderful it was to breathe. Once my breathing was under control, I looked up to see Ivan walking toward me through the fog.

"Are you okay, (y/n)?" He offered me a gloved hand, and I used it to help me stand.

"Y-yeah...yeah." My knees felt like mush. "What was that?"

"I told you. It is like it's alive." Ivan laughed softly. "Most people go crazy and jump overboard or are found dead. That is why they find empty ships. How silly of them, da?"

"How can you stay so calm?"

"With this." He held up a long metal rod with an odd looking fixture on the end. "I slash everything apart."

His words made me uneasy, and there seemed to be some strange aura around him that wasn't there before. I began to wonder if maybe Ivan was a monster. "What do you see in the fog?"

He smiled that same innocent smile. "You would rather not know."

* * *

The Captain was lost. He couldn't remember where he was, or even why he was there at all. He couldn't remember why he was surrounded by fog, or why the fog seemed to be watching him. He felt eyes watching him, but there was never anyone there. Arthur was completely alone.

Usually, that wouldn't have bothered him, but there was something nagging him from the inside that said he was forgetting someone. Who he was forgetting, he had no clue. The fog stretched out in every direction, and the Captain didn't dare to take more than a few steps in any one direction. Where was he again? He didn't remember.

Something hit his boot as he shuffled a few steps to his right. It was wooden and looked an awful lot like some kind of railing. Arthur couldn't see anything beyond the railing, but it looked like there wasn't a floor on the other side. Maybe there was and he just couldn't see it. He decided he didn't want to find out. The discovery of the railing made him feel a little better. At least he was oriented with something now. If he got lost again, he could always backtrack to the railing.

The railing made Arthur curious. Why was it there? What was it for? Where was he? He was about to try to find something on the other side of the wooden fixture when something moved in the mist. It was too fast for him to make out the first time, but the second time he thought he got a glimpse of something humanoid. Without thinking, his hand flew to the handle of a something strapped around his waist, but he couldn't understand why. What was this thing? Why did he reach for it? He didn't know.

It moved again. This time it was much slower, and the Captain was able to discern the shape of a woman on the other side of the railing. There must be some kind of floor over there, he thought to himself. The figure moved a little closer, and more of her features became recognizable. Arthur gripped the railing tightly.

"Mother."

It wasn't a statement or a question, it just was. He didn't know why the word came out of his mouth, but he knew it was important. The misty woman smiled, and Captain Kirkland found himself smiling too. He liked the woman's smile. He wanted her to smile again.

"Mother."

This time, the word brought something with it. A meaning, or a feeling. He felt sad, but he didn't know why. The woman also looked sad. He wanted to go to her. He wanted to tell her she didn't have to be sad. If the word made her sad, he wouldn't use it anymore. The Captain raised a foot onto the railing when something grabbed his shoulder.

"You can't."

He turned around to see a bespectacled young man holding him by the shoulder. Something about the boy seemed familiar, but Arthur couldn't put his finger on it. The youth's lips twitched upward in amusement, yet there was no mirth in his eyes.

"You see her too, huh."

"Who?"

"Mother."

"Don't say that. It makes her sad."

The boy laughed. "You've really lost it, huh, Big Bro?"

Big Bro. It sounded so familiar. The boy looked so familiar. In more ways than one. Arthur looked out to the ghostly figure of the woman, and back at the youth. There was a strange resemblance between the two. Especially that strange bit of hair that stood up on both of their heads.

"Do I...do I know you?" the Captain asked.

"Apparently not," the boy answered. "What were you doing over here, Bro? Looks like you were going to jump off the ship."

Ship? What ship? Arthur couldn't remember.

"You were, weren't you?" The youth sighed. "I don't know what this fog did to you, but you're not thinking right. Why don't you come down before you do something stupid."

Arthur found himself disliking this boy more as the conversation progressed. "Who in bloody blazes are you?"

"Ah ha! So you still remember your pirate lingo! I guess that's something."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I'm Alfred. Alfred F. Jones."

The words triggered something in the Captain's mind. Things came flooding back. Images, names, faces. It was a big mess, however one thing stood out above all the rest.

"Where's (y/n)?"

"Do you remember now? Sheesh, I was getting worried, Bro."

"No. All I remember is a name."

The smile fell from Alfred's face, and he swore softly. "Crap. This is worse than I thought. Just get down from there and we'll try to find the others."

Arthur was reluctant to listen. He wanted to go out to the woman in the mist, but the boy had told him he'd fall overboard. The Captain took one last look at the figure in the fog, but she was gone. He wondered if he had actually seen her at all. Without a reason to stay at the railing, Arthur lowered his foot back onto the deck of the ship. That was apparently what he was on after all. A ship.

"Where now?"

"Don't know." Alfred shrugged and began to walk. "We can look for the others, or we can just wait until we get out of this fog."

"Who are 'the others'?"

"(Y/n) and that big guy, Ivan. Everyone else is below deck."

"Why are they there?"

"You told them to."

"Why would they listen to me?"

"Because you're the captain of this ship! Seriously, Bro. You don't remember anything?"

"I remember..." What did he remember? Everything was a blur. The last thing he could remember was being somewhere surrounded by swirling fog. "I remember (y/n)," he said without thinking.

"Well I'd hope so. You're in love with her."

"Really?" Arthur couldn't conceal his surprise. "That doesn't sound like me."

"Yeah, no kiddin'. You're about as lovable as an angry wasp, but somehow you love her and she loves you. It's sickening to watch."

"You sound jealous."

There was a pause. Alfred had walked a little ways ahead, and the Captain could only make out the outline of his figure in the mist. "It's probably because I am."

Arthur didn't know how to respond to that. "Why are you limping?"

"Because you shot me in the foot."

"What?"

"Yup, it was an accident, but it hurt like crazy. I'm pretty sure you punched me in the face once too."

"You probably deserved it."

"You know, it's weird talking to you like this. It never usually happens."

"I think I know why."

"Oh?"

"You're an annoying brat."

"And you're still a grouch even without your memories," Alfred said with a laugh. "It's weird to think we're related sometimes."

"Are we?"

"Yup. I'm your half-brother."

"Only half?"

Another pause. "It's a long story. I'm sure you'll remember once the fog clears."

"Why are we here?"

"We're looking for the Lunar Islands. The mercouncil told us they would know how to fix (y/n), or something like that."

"What's wrong with (y/n)?"

"She's got legs!"

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Mermaids aren't supposed to have lets, Bro. And there's also something about her dying if she uses too much magic."

Mermaids. Magic. It all sounded like rubbish to Arthur. Or did it? He felt something tugging at the back of his mind. Something important. Something he should have never forgotten.

"(Y/n)!"

"Do you remember now? This game of twenty questions was getting old..."

"Alfred, you little git!" The Captain reached out and grabbed his brother by the collar. "Tell anyone about this, and I swear I'll cut you open for fish bait."

Surprisingly, the boy laughed. "Don't worry, Big Bro. Your secret's safe with me." There was a goofy grin on his face, but his words were sincere.

Arthur let him go and turned away. He didn't speak for a long time. "Thank you...for not letting me jump off the ship." He crossed his arms in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it. That's what brothers do."

"...yes. I suppose you're right."

Just then, the fog cleared. It was like the Queen Lady passed through some barrier that held the fog back. She sailed smoothly over the calmest, bluest water the Captain had ever seen. He could just make out the peaks of an island in the distance, and knew that his goal was almost in reach. His quest was almost at an end.

"Arthur!"

The voice was music to his ears, and he turned to behold the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. The mermaid leapt into his waiting arms and held him tight.

"I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you too." She didn't even know how literal he was being. It didn't really matter. He had her, and that's all that did matter.


	27. Chapter 27

They held each other like that for a long time without caring what anyone else thought. Some of the crew appeared on the deck, and more quickly followed once word that the mist was gone got around. Arthur didn't even care that they were looking. He presses his lips to the mermaid's and enjoyed the way she tasted. There were a lot of whistles and hoots thrown their way because of it, but he didn't care.

She pulled back after a while and blushed deeply. "Everyone's watching."

"Let them. The gits are probably all jealous."

"It was strange, that fog," the mermaid whispered. "I saw some weird things."

"Yes, I know."

"Ivan...I don't think he's...normal."

The Captain took a quick peek over her shoulder at the tall man, who was wearing a small smile on his face. "What happened?"

"He found me being strangled to death by the fog, but he rescued me. I'm fine though, honest," she said after seeing the panic in Arthur's eyes. "I asked him what he saw in the mist, but he wouldn't say."

"And that makes him abnormal?"

"No. I started seeing things in the fog that I think were meant for him. Horrible things, Arthur. They were horrible. And he just..."

"Just what, love?"

"He just laughed and slashed them apart."

This confirmed a suspicion Captain Kirkland had ever since he met the large man. There was just something fundamentally wrong with him. It wasn't anything that could be seen by just looking, but it seeped out and clung to him like an odor. A very menacing odor. It was no wonder death wouldn't touch him. The Captain was glad they had made it through because he wanted Ivan off his ship as soon as possible.

The island Arthur had seen was actually part of a chain of islands. They formed a large crescent around a shimmering blue bay with water as clear as glass. A faint breeze pushed the Queen Lady swiftly through the water. The Captain stood at the helm and guided his ship carefully around the bay's perimeter. He wasn't sure where to land, but hoped he would find it soon. The opportunity arose not long after.

"Here! I would like to get off here!" Ivan stood next to the Captain and pointed to a tiny island covered in nothing but sunflowers. "How wonderful."

"You'll have to find your own way back," Arthur informed him.

"Da, I know. I still would like to get off."

Arthur was more than happy to oblige. He steered the ship as close to the island as possible and dropped anchor. Ivan said goodbye to everyone and jumped off the ship before a plank was lowered. Several people ran to the side of the ship, but reported not seeing the tall man anywhere. The Captain glanced back at the island and saw a few of the yellow flowers closest to the edge of the island swaying. If Ivan had managed to go that way, he was nowhere to be seen.

The anchor was raised, and the ship began its course once more. A very tall mountain peak began to grow closer, and Arthur saw something unbelievable on that island. A large structure that looked like a huge stone castle sat nestled between the mountain and the beaches of the island. There even appeared to be some docks protruding into the water near the castle. The Captain had no doubt this was where he was supposed to go.

It took less than an hour for him to sail to the castle. Most of the crew was already gathered on deck to marvel at the gigantic gray structure with an even larger mountain for a backdrop. The mermaid's eyes sparkled with hope and wonder, and Arthur knew they were both thinking the same thing. This was the end of the line. They were finally here and were about to get some answers.

But he had a tough time feeling completely happy about it. He did want the mermaid to be happy, which he knew meant she gets her fin back, but he was afraid of what that meant. She couldn't stay on the ship with a fin. She would have to go back to her family, if the Council even let her back into their city. Arthur couldn't picture a scenario in which she gets her tail back and is able to stay with him.

"There be people!" Squeaker cried from the crow's nest. "Lots of 'em!"

"Wonder if dey look like moon people."

"Well, dey prob'ly don' look like yew! Yer too ugly!"

"Moon people?" the mermaid asked the two men conversing.

"Yeah, moon people," one of them answered. "'Aven' ya 'eard? Rumor 'as it dat the people livin' 'ere are from da moon. Dats why it's called de Lunar Islands."

"Oh." She nodded as if it made sense.

Arthur rolled his eyes. Rumors spread faster on his ship than a market full of women. Even so, he was also curious as to the name's origin. He ordered the anchor to be dropped as soon as the ship came to a stop beside a long wooden dock. Once that was accomplished, his crew waited on deck for orders.

"I'm sure you're all excited to get on shore," the Captain said to his men. "You all have my permission to go, but if I hear about even one of you causing trouble..." He paused for dramatic effect. "Let's just say I have a long list of things that could use a good cleaning. You're all dismissed."

The crew didn't hesitate to disembark, and Arthur wondered if he had unleashed a plague on the island. He didn't even know if the people were friendly. His thoughts were interrupted by someone clearing his throat.

"Do ya need someone t' go wit ya, Cap'n?" Christov stood behind him waiting for an answer.

"Yes, thank you."

"Don't forget me!" The mermaid appeared from behind Christov with a smile.

"Never, princess."

"I'm coming too!" Alfred popped up from the stairs leading below deck.

"If you must..."

"Oh, me too! I'm coming too!" Peter came up the stairs next with a big grin.

"Of course." Arthur looked at his group. "All set?" They nodded. "Okay, let's go see what's going on."

* * *

Crowds of very strange looking people had gathered around the docks to welcome us, or maybe just to stare at the new arrivals. We must have looked as odd to them as they did to us. The people were very tall, but willowy and slender as well. Most of them had fair hair and skin, but all of their eyes were dark. It reminded me of a half-full moon with a portion of light and a portion of darkness. The image was further strengthened by the faint light that seem to emanate from their bodies. It might have just been the white robes they all wore, but I wasn't sure.

I felt Christov shuffle behind me, and I watched him glance around nervously. It wasn't like him to be so skittish, but I supposed it had to do with the strangeness of our situation. This was a land of legends. Even I felt awed by it all. The crowds whispered and murmured to themselves, but no one spoke directly to us. I couldn't tell if they were even speaking our language.

"Where did everyone go?" Peter asked in reference to the Queen Lady's crew. The only people around that came off the ship seemed to be us.

"You don't think they took 'em away to eat them, do you?"

"Alfred!" I chided. "That's horrible!" I thought back to the incident with the cannibals living in the ruins, and I really hoped these people were nothing like them.

Arthur stepped forward to address the masses. "Greetings, people of the Lunar Islands. I am Captain Arthur Kirkland. My crew and I come peacefully in search of knowledge." There were exclamations of surprise from the crowd. "Is there anyone here we can speak with?"

Gasps rose up from the crowd as it began to part. A hunched old man hobbled his way toward Arthur while leaning on a thick walking stick. He didn't look too impressive, but he carried an air of wisdom and importance. "My people are surprised to see humans from the outside, stranger. It has been a long time since your kind have come."

"We would have come sooner but your fogs proved to be a challenge."

Surprisingly, the old man chuckled at Arthur's cheeky remark. "Yes, I suppose that did give you trouble. How did you manage to get through?"

"There was a man who had gone through before," Arthur explained. "He showed us how, but it was quite the ordeal."

The elderly man stroked his long white beard thoughtfully. It was hard to tell what he was thinking because his eyebrows had grown over his eyes. I wondered if he could even see. "It is strange that you need someone to help you. You appear to be strong-willed, stranger, so the mists should not have affected you. They are meant to deter fools and those of weak spirit."

"They've wrecked more ships than we've been able to keep count."

The old man's hand froze. "I'm sorry. I thought I heard you said the mists have been wrecking ships."

"They have."

"Oh dear. I was afraid of this." The elderly man's long brows furrowed together. "We knew there would be a day when men grew too weak to resist our magic, but we did not expect it so soon. We will have to decrease the amount of magic we use. That explains why we haven't had guests such a long time."

I could tell Arthur didn't like being called weak, so I reached out to touch his arm. The last thing we needed was him going off on a helpless old man and inciting the wrath of the native people.

"Oh ho! I see you have a mermaid with you, stranger. How interesting." The old man hobbled toward me faster than I imagined possible. "It is unfortunate that this must happen to you poor creatures. It pains me every time one of your kind arrive here, although they are usually in much worse shape than you and do not have quite the, uh...entourage."

"So there have been others!" I gasped.

"Yes, of course! Come, come, my dear! We will talk more once we reach the castle and fill your bellies! The rest of your friends are already there feasting on the tastiest delicacies our cooks can create!"

He gently grasped my hand and began to lead me through the crowd. His grip was surprisingly strong, but not enough to hurt. I glanced back to make sure the others were close behind, which they were. Arthur's emerald eyes met mine, and I felt a little better. This whole situation was so much weirder than almost every human encounter I've had so far. I had the impression these people were about as human as I was.

The crowd parted easily for us and watched our little group move toward the castle in the distance. It seemed so much larger as we got closer to it, and I wondered how they built something like that. Maybe they used magic. They were certainly capable of wielding it. We soon passed into a market area just outside of the castle gate. It was nowhere near as busy as Xerux, but there was still a surprisingly large amount of people there. They must have gathered from all of the other islands surrounding the crystal clear bay behind us. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing to watch us walk past. I couldn't tell if it was to give respect to the old man, who was still holding my hand, or because we were outsiders.

The large stone gate blocking entrance to the castle were made of a different white stone than the rest of the structure and were already opening for us as we approached. I marveled at the silent power it held. It was even more impressive than the coral doors leading into the Council chamber back home. We hurried through the gate to find some kind of a courtyard filled with more people. They didn't look like the merchants and common people on the other side. It was obvious they were of higher importance and cut from a finer cloth.

"Messengers and couriers from different chieftains," the old man whispered to me. "The chiefs like to think they're so important but don't even bother to come to meetings themselves." He let out a snort.

"They're dressed pretty nicely to be messengers," Alfred commented.

"That's the chiefs' way to make themselves look better. Others can only imagine how rich the chief is if his messenger is dressed so extravagantly."

The old man quickly led us away from the scurrying men gathered in the courtyard. He guided us to a small wooden door instead of the large stone ones at the very front of the castle building. I thought I heard some groans when we saw a set of spiral stairs behind the door, which I assumed led all the way up the tower we stood under.

"We usually only use the big doors during ceremonies. Besides, these stairs will take us straight to where we need to go." The old man began to climb at a brisk pace, his walking stick thudding on every other step.

"I don't know if I can do this, (y/n)." I looked back at Alfred, who seemed to be paling before my eyes. We were the last two who hadn't gone up the stairs yet.

"Your foot! I'm sorry, I forgot."

"It's no big deal. I'll just wait here."

"Didn't he say the others were at a feast?" I wondered out loud. "We need to find someone to get you there. Hey, you!" I shouted at the nearest courier. "What's your name?"

The man stopped in his tracks and stared in surprise. "H-Henry."

"Okay, Henry, I need you to find out where all the pirates were taken and make sure my friend gets there."

"But that's not my-"

"Get it done or I'll tell everyone that you've been bad mouthing your chief during meetings. You wouldn't want that, would you, Henry?"

"N-no! Of course not! If you'll come with me, sir." He gestured for Alfred to follow him.

"Sweet! Nice going, (y/n)." He smiled at me before following the disgruntled courier to wherever everyone else was.

That left me by myself at the bottom of a ridiculously long staircase. I sighed and began to climb. The sooner I started, the sooner I'd be at the top. By the time I got to the top I was so out of breath that I had to rest on my knees until my heart stopped trying to jump out of my chest. I really shouldn't have sprinted the first couple hundred steps. After another moment of rest, I stood up straight to face an open wooden door.

"(Y/n)! Look at this!" Peter ran toward me with an open book in his hands. I met him in the doorway and leaned down curiously.

"What is it, little one?"

"They move! Look!"

The book appeared normal at first glance with words and pictures, but then I looked again. What looked like normal pictures were anything but. The figures moved and interacted with their surroundings. A girl in a red cape walked with a large black dog down a forest road lined by flowers that bobbed and bowed as a breeze ruffled their delicate petals. My eyes widened in amazement.

"How is this possible?" I breathed.

"Magic!" Peter answered excitedly. "All of the books here are like this!"

I stepped past him into a large room filled with books. Rows and rows of books lined every shelf against every wall and every shelf in between. A small smile tugged my lips as I thought about the thousands of stories contained within all of those pages. I wasn't old enough to be a Healer or in the Guard, so I had spent a lot of time reading books at home. The thought of so many books in one place made my heart swell up.

"(Y/n)." I turned to see Arthur watching me. He walked closer and placed a gentle kiss on my temple.

"What was that for?"

"I couldn't help myself. You looked so happy." He brushed some hair behind my ear. "Where's my brother?"

"I got someone to take him to the others. He didn't think he could make it up the stairs."

"Finally, he thinks with some sense," Arthur sighed.

"Ah, how nice that you could join us." The old man and Christov were standing at a table behind Arthur. I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not. "We were discussing your...predicament, if you will. Please, join us."

I followed Arthur toward the others. They were looking at a large map and a thick book. The pictures moved on both, and I had a hard time deciding which one I wanted to look at first. I eventually chose the book and watched as a mermaid collapsed as if struck by lightning. It reminded me of what I saw in the fog. When she rose, she had legs and wandered around the page for a while before being caught up in a swirl of colors. After the colors disappeared, she was a mermaid again, and the whole thing started over like it was stuck in an infinite loop.

"I see you recognize yourself in this picture," the old man said softly. "We have seen many young mermaids stripped of their tails and most of their magic. It's enough to break our hearts to see them like that. They come to have us help them and we have to tell them we cannot."

My heart stopped. "You...can't help me?"

He shook his head sadly. "Our magic is strong, but not that strong. No, there is only one who can help you."

"Who? Who is this person?"

"Not a person. The god of the ocean. Only he has the power to restore you to your original state."

"Why have I never heard of this before?" I asked.

"The merfolk are not very fond of him. He made it so they cannot go on land, he gave their names great power, and he made them very susceptible to humans. They resent him for being unfair to them, but they do not realize how great their magic is. I'm sure you have felt it, my dear, when you harness the power of the ocean. That is his power, which he has allowed you to use."

I thought about it and nodded slowly. Whenever I had used ocean magic, I had felt a huge force bending to my will. Even when I was angry, I felt the ocean respond. "How do I find him?"

"That's the hard part," Arthur sighed.

"Indeed," the old man agreed. He tugged on one of his long eyebrows before continuing. "We were just looking at this map here so your captain friend would know where to take you. It's not very far from here, but it's very dangerous."

"Why?"

"Perhaps you friend should explain."

I looked to Arthur. "Right now we are here," he said and pointed to a crescent shaped chain of islands in the middle of the ocean. "This is technically uncharted water. If you remember the map we looked at a long time ago, there wasn't anything here at all."

"Yeah, I remember," I replied with a nod.

"There are a few reasons why these parts of the ocean are uncharted. The first is that they are so far from land that there's no chance of making it back to shore if you become shipwrecked. The second is the mists surrounding these islands." He pointed to an image of fog swirling around the Lunar Islands. "And the third is by far the worst." Arthur looked me straight in the eyes. "South of these islands is a large area of uncharted ocean." He pointed to a spot a ways below the islands. "Sometimes it's calm and you can sail straight through it without a problem, but other times it's filled with the worst bloody storms you can imagine." As he said those words, a small storm appeared on the map where his finger was. Lightning flashed, and waves churned the ocean. I could imagine a tiny little ship in there being dashed to pieces. "This is where the god of the ocean is supposed to be."

There was silence. Even Peter had stopped running around pulling books off the shelves. "We can't," I said after a while. "It's too dangerous. I can't ask you to do that."

"But you want to get back to normal, don't you?" Arthur asked me. I nodded. "Then we're going." I tried to argue some more, but he put a finger on my lips to silence me. "We're going, and that's final. If you don't like it, then we'll tie you up until we get there."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"I would if you were tied to my bed, love." I was caught completely off guard by his comment, but I tried to act cool about it. Unfortunately, my blush gave me away. He laughed softly and wagged a finger in my face. "Don't forget who you're playing with, princess."

I leaned forward and bit his mocking finger. He winced. "Don't you forget either, Arthur Kirkland," I said after I let go.

He grumbled something under his breath before turning to face the others. "Alright, it looks like we have a new course. Let's get the crew together to set sail."

"Won't you stay a little longer?" the old man practically begged. "It's not often we have guests, and it would be a shame for you to miss out on a real Luxsparian feast."

"Feast?" Peter and Christov said at the same time. Someone's stomach growled, and I was pretty sure it was Arthur's.

"Yes, a feast. We'll also have baths prepared for you and fresh clothes. You are also welcome to stay the night at the castle and sleep in wonderfully soft beds."

I looked at Arthur pleadingly. "Please, Arthur. I can't even remember the last time I had a bath."

The pirate's gaze moved from me, to Peter, to Christov, and back to me. His eyebrows twitched once, and then he sighed. "Fine. We'll stay. Does that make you gits happy?" The three of us cheered, and Arthur sighed again. "Lead the way, old man, before I change my mind."


	28. Chapter 28

The food at the feast was probably the best I had ever eaten, and ever would eat, in my entire life. When we arrived, the rest of the crew had already been there for an hour or so, but there was still so much food left. Servants and cooks kept bringing out more food as plates grew empty. I saw Alfred stuffing his face with some kind of meat pastries, and he waved me over excitedly.

"Take a look at this!" he said excitedly as he untied one of his shoes. He took off his sock and wiggled his toes.

"Your foot!" I gasped.

"Good as new!" Sure enough, all that was left of his old injury was a small pink, circular scar. "That guy took me to some doctors first. Must have seen me limping or something."

"I'll have to put in a good word for Henry," I said with a laugh.

"Put your shoe back on, you bloody fool!" Arthur sat down beside me and glared at Alfred. "Hasn't anyone ever taught you some manners?"

"Sorry, Big Bro. Just showing (y/n) my cool new scar."

"It's better?" Arthur asked in surprise.

"Yup. They've got some weird magic stuff here that fixed it right up," Alfred explained as he put his sock and shoe back on. "The food's good too. You should eat some."

I didn't have to be told twice. The empty plate in front of me quickly filled up with all sorts of delicious looking things. There were lots of meat pastries, fruit tarts, large roasted birds, baked fish, fresh fruits, and more. I couldn't get enough. Whenever there was room on my plate, I filled it with more food.

"This is so good!" Cook exclaimed from across the table. "I has ta get the recipe!"

"Maybe yer cookin'll get better!" someone shouted.

"No more apples n' herring!"

"No more cabbage porridge!"

The bantering continued long after we had finished. All of the food had put everyone in good spirits, and most of the crew left to go cause some mischief somewhere else. I excused myself to find the baths. One of the servants was kind enough to lead the way, and I soon found myself soaking in a warm tub. I stayed in there for as long as I could without being a nuisance. My eyelids were starting to get heavy, so I decided it would probably just be best to go to bed. I was led to another room and collapsed into a soft white bed. It took all of my willpower just to crawl under the covers before drifting off to sleep, my mind giving way to the comfort of unconsciousness.

* * *

Captain Kirkland woke early the next morning as was his custom. He didn't like sleeping in too late. It made him feel lazy. He dressed quickly and found the dining hall again where they had eaten yesterday. It was laid out again, but not with quite as much food this time. Arthur took a seat and filled a bowl with porridge. He was accustomed to eating alone, but found the silence unnerving after the festivities of the night before. It never occurred to him that eating alone was a rather lonely thing to do. He ate some porridge and sighed.

"Morning."

The Captain turned around to see the mermaid standing in the doorway. She had on new, clean clothes that fit her well. The mermaid was the only woman he had ever seen look so good in trousers. "Good morning."

"You're up pretty early," she said as she sat down next to him.

"I could say the same for you." He spooned more warm porridge into his mouth.

"I went to bed too early last night so now I'm up early." She grabbed a spoon and stuck it in Arthur's bowl. "Lemme try some of this." She put the spoon in her mouth and grimaced. "Oh tides, Arthur! This isn't sweet at all!"

"Of course not. Why does it need to be sweet?"

"Because it tastes nasty otherwise." The mermaid found a small bowl of sugar and began dumping spoonful after spoonful into his porridge. She stirred it in and had a taste. "Mmm. Much better. You should try it."

"I would rather not..."

"C'mon, Arthur."

"Fine, just for you, princess." He took a spoonful of the sweetened porridge and hesitantly put it into his mouth. The taste was enough to make him spit it out into a napkin with a curse. "That's bloody repulsive!"

"I like it," she said as she took another bite.

"Then you eat it." He pushed the bowl toward her and reached to get himself a fresh, unsweetened bowl. "Bloody disgusting..."

The rest of the Captain's crew eventually joined the two of them in the dining hall. Some looked refreshed after a good night's sleep, but others looked hungover. Arthur had no idea where they would have found the booze in the first place. Breakfast was a quick affair, and soon everyone was getting ready to board the ship. A lot of the local Luxsparians had come out to the docks to watch them go. They had brought gifts for the departing crew, and the Captain had an armful of random items ranging from clothes to good luck charms by the time he reached his ship. They didn't appear to be that friendly at first, but the Luxsparians were actually very gracious hosts.

"It saddens us to see you leave so soon." The old man was waiting for them at the dock next to the Queen Lady. "It's been so long since we've had guests. We pray that you will come back once your quest is compete."

"We'd be honored," Arthur replied. He shot the mermaid a sidelong glance and saw her smiling faintly. It occurred to him that if they succeed, she probably would not ever be coming back.

"Thank you for your hospitality," she said. "And I was wondering if I could ask you a question."

"Of course, my dear. Ask away. I am curious to hear what you have to say."

The Captain was also curious as to what her question could be.

"Well, I just..." She lowered her voice. "Is it true your people come from the moon?"

Arthur almost burst out laughing. He had to bite his tongue to keep himself in check.

"Ah, so you have heard the rumors," the old man said. He laughed softly. "There are few here who remember that far back. Oh ho ho ho. It has been a long time indeed. Now it is time for you to go. We will open the mist for you and send our strongest winds to aid you."

The Captain wasn't sure if the old man was being serious about coming from the moon, but he agrees that it was time to leave. "Thank you for all of your help."

The old man nodded, and Arthur boarded the ship with the mermaid. They were the last ones aboard, and the rest of the crew was waiting for orders. Captain Kirkland didn't make them wait any longer. The Queen Lady slowly pulled away from the docks and back toward the calm bay. A swift breeze filled the sails, and the ship seemed to glide across the water. It took only a few minutes to reach where the fog was and slip through the gap made for them. Arthur wasn't the least bit sorry that he didn't have to go through that again.

Once they were through the fog, the wind grew stronger, and the sails strained against the masts. The Captain hardly had to steer as the ship was guided by the steady wind. He checked his compass to make sure they were headed south, and then resigned himself to watch the horizon. It had occurred to him that a storm may appear at any time. He wanted to be ready. There wasn't much he could actually do against a raging storm, but he didn't want to be caught off guard. He had the feeling the last leg of his journey would be the most difficult.

* * *

I was amazed at how fast we were moving through the water. No natural wind had ever pushed us this fast, and I found myself pacing between rails and watching the water spray up the side of the ship. Maybe I was just nervous. What if we couldn't find the god? What if he didn't want to help us? I might be stuck like this forever. But was that really a bad thing? I had friends on the ship, a new life full of brand new experiences, and Arthur. It might not be the worst thing in the world if the god wouldn't help me.

A small hand tugged on my sleeve. "We're moving kind of fast, huh?"

"Yes, little one, we are." I smiled down at Peter, but he wasn't smiling. "What's wrong?"

"You're going to leave soon right?"

I was and wasn't surprised by his question. "Yes."

"I don't want you to," he said. He looked just like Arthur with his big brows knit together defiantly. "I want you to stay here."

"I'm sorry. It can't be that way."

"Why not? Because you're not human? I don't care! Uncle Arthur doesn't care! We want you to stay!"

"I know, little one, I know." I reached out to him, but he stepped away.

"No you don't!" he shouted over the wind. "You don't know! If you knew, you would stay!"

"It's not that easy-"

"But it is! Just stay here with us! We'll have a lot of fun everyday! We can be like a big family!"

My heart way breaking for the little boy as he tried desperately to convince me. "Oh, Peter. I wish I could, but I can't."

"Then you don't love us!"

"Peter! I-"

"No! Leave me alone!" He ran toward the stairs and disappeared below deck.

I was about to go after him when a cry filled the air. "Ship approachin'! There's a ship approachin'!" Squeaker yelled from the crow's nest.

I brushed the hair out of my eyes as I turned to look where he was pointing. Behind the Queen Lady, far in the distance, was a ship, and it was gaining on us. Christov ran to the helm and was speaking frantically with Arthur. I couldn't hear what they were saying over the wind, which had been steadily growing stronger over time. It didn't seem like the magically induced wind from earlier. This wind brought with it the smell of ozone.

"All hands on deck!" Arthur roared. "Get the cannons ready to fire! Prepare for evasive maneuvers!"

I ran to the helm, which was difficult to do as the ship buckled on the waves. "Arthur! Arthur what's happening?"

"Nothing yet," he told me, "but it may not stay that way long. There's a ship tailing us, and it's getting closer."

"How is that possible?"

"It's riding the same winds we are. The Queen Lady was by no means built to be fast, but that ship obviously was."

The other ship gained on us at an incredibly fast pace. At first I could only see it's black sails, but then its hull, then the small people hurrying around on its deck. A feeling of dread came over me as I watched the ship come so close that its prow almost touched the rear of the Queen Lady. Arthur furiously turned the wheel, and the whole ship peeled to the side. The other ship followed in response. Both ships were locked in a kind of dance in which they circled around each other, and I was finally able to read the name of the other ship. The Spanish Armada.

"Oh honhonhon! So we meet again, Arthur!"

"Francis," Arthur spat. The blonde pirate captain stood on the deck of the other ship and waved.

"Don't forget about me!" Another man stood at the helm of the Spanish Armada and tipped his hat.

"Antonio. Why aren't I surprised?"

"Hey! That's Captain Antonio Fernández Carriedo!"

"As if anyone could remember that," Arthur muttered. "What do you two want? This place is dangerous!"

"Oh, you offend me, mon ami. I just want to talk. After blowing up my ship I think you owe me that much," Francis practically purred.

"This isn't the best place to talk. Can't this wait until we get back to safer waters?"

"I'm afraid it can't, chico. We know what you're planning on doing, and we can't let it happen," Antonio said. Both ships slowed to a halt as the wind died down. They were close enough that I could have jumped from one deck to the other. "There's a certain chica on your ship we came here to get."

Arthur put an arm around me protectively and glared at the two captains. "No."

"I don't think you understand. That's not for you to decide."

"We've been following you for a long time now, my dear Arthur, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to snatch away your peu de beauté," Francis added. "We were determined to get her one way or the other."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, how rude. Let me start from the beginning. You see, when Toni and I heard you had gotten your hands on a mermaid, we had to see for ourselves."

"There was no way we were going to let you keep her for yourself!" Antonio exclaimed.

"Indeed," Francis agreed with a nod. "Toni posed as an anonymous buyer while I made sure she was the real thing, although it looks like you've been through something rather unfortunate, ma chérie."

I watched the blonde man wink at me with disgust. All I wanted to do was rip out each and every one of his chin hairs, and I bet Arthur felt the same.

"I thought it would be much cheaper to steal her instead of giving you all that gold Toni promised, but that didn't work out." Francis' blue eyes darkened as if he was remembering the night we sank his ship.

"And then you never showed up in Gaal to make the deal," Antonio finished. "We kept a close eye on you so we could pick a good time to strike. She may not look like a mermaid now, but we still want her."

"Over my dead body!" Arthur shouted.

"Oh honhonhon! Please don't give me any ideas, mon ami."

I felt a strong hand rip me away from Arthur. An arm snaked around my waist as a sharp knife was pressed to my throat. "Don't try t' stop me, Cap'n, or she bleeds," Christov said.

"Christov, why?" I whispered.

"No talkin' or ya lose her tongue."

"Christov, let her go," Arthur growled.

"Don't take orders from yew no more, Cap'n," the burly man answered.

"Christov has been such a dear and was letting us know where you were going," Francis said with an infuriating smile.

"Traitor!" Arthur spat.

"Sorry, Cap'n. 'S not personal, just business." Arthur's eyes flickered to something just above Christov's shoulder. I didn't dare turn my head to look with the knife still pressed dangerously against my neck. "We'll be goin' now."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay a while longer?"

"Ah don't know what yer trying t' pull, Cap'n, but it ain't gonna work on me."

"I'm not trying to pull anything."

"But I am."

Alfred's voice came from behind me, and I felt Christov cry out in pain. His grip on me loosened enough for me to slip from his grasp. I turned to see the large man kneeling on the deck with a large gash in his side, and Alfred standing behind him holding a bloody knife. The boy nodded at me confidently, to which I returned the gesture.

"RRRAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" Christov turned with a bellow and slashed at Alfred, but Alfred was too quick. The two began to fight next to the wheel while I nervously watched. Christov may have been stronger, but Alfred had speed on his side. Now that his foot wasn't injured, he moved like a salmon through the sea grass.

"Open fire!" Antonio cried. Booms filled the air as cannons flew out the portholes in the Spanish Armada.

"Return fire!" Arthur roared as cannonballs tore through the Queen Lady.

Both ships were too close for any of the shots to miss. I dropped to my knees as the ship buckled beneath my feet. Water was probably starting to flood the lower decks, and I hoped Cook would be okay. That's when I remembered Peter. I looked around frantically for the little boy, but he was nowhere to be seen. Men from the Spanish Armada were starting to open fire with their revolvers, and Arthur's crew was doing the same. No one seemed to want to jump across the small gap separating the two ships.

I got to my feet, but Arthur grabbed my wrist before I could leave. "Where are you going?"

"Peter's below deck somewhere! I have to find him!" The ship lurched again after another volley of cannon fire.

"It's too dangerous!"

"We can't abandon him, Arthur!"

He finally seemed to understand and let go of my wrist. I gave him a quick kiss before running down the stairs. He immediate began shouting orders as I ran across the deck. The helm wasn't too far from the stairs leading below deck, but it felt like I was running for eternity. Screams and bullets whizzed through the air all around me. Somehow I managed to get to the stairs and climb down without a scratch.

It was difficult to navigate through the ship with it tilted so strangely. I could almost hear the water rushing in and knew there wasn't much time for me to find Peter. A thin layer of water splashed beneath my feet as I ran to the crew's sleeping room. It was empty, and so were the next three rooms I checked. The water now reached a little higher than my ankles.

There had to be something I could do to hold the water back. I took a deep breath and concentrated on the water at my feet. My mind flowed with the water back to its source, and I willed the water to go out from where it came. It was a slow process, but I felt the water level begin to lower. I willed it with more force, and the water flowed out much faster. Once it had reached a safer level, I broke my connection and continued my search for Peter. I hardly noticed how warm the charm had become around my neck.

He wasn't in the next couple of rooms I checked either. I was running out of time and places to look. On a whim, I ran to my room. It was a hunch, but it was all I had. Water sloshed on the floor as I ran for the room. I furrowed my brows in confusion. The water should not be this high yet. Then I heard something like an explosion outside. I didn't have time to waste thinking about this. I reached my room and yanked open the door.

Something small was shaking under the blankets of my bed. I gently pulled the covers back. "I've been looking for you, little one."

"W-what's happening outside?"

"We've run into some trouble with another ship."

"Are we going to die, (y/n)?"

His question cut me to my core. I had been too worried about him to consider it a possibility. "No. Not if I can help it."

"I'm sorry I shouted at you before. I didn't mean it. Honest."

"It's alright. I believe you." I hugged him tight. "We can't stay here though. We have to get up on deck, okay?"

"Okay." Peter crawled out from under the blankets.

We ran toward the door as more water started to rush inside. When we got to the stairs, it became apparent why the water was flowing in so quickly. A torrent of water was gushing down the stairs at an alarming rate. I realized it was rain as soon as my head rose above the deck floor, and a flash of lightning streaked across the dark sky. A storm had rolled in during the time I was below deck, and everything was in chaos. The Spanish Armada must have been hit by lightning because the main mast was burning, and the fire was spreading quickly. I almost fell down the stairs as the Queen Lady heaved on a large wave.

"We need to find Arthur!" I shouted over the shrieking wind. This was like nothing I had ever experienced before.

"Over there!"

Peter pointed toward the helm where a group of men were still fighting. Almost everyone else had stopped and was trying to take shelter. It also appeared that the crew of the Spanish Armada had abandoned their burning ship and were running around with the crew of the Queen Lady. Either no one noticed or they didn't mind. I took Peter's hand, and the two of us ran through the men toward the helm.

Three of the ones still fighting turned out to be Arthur, Francis, and Antonio. They watched each other warily with their swords drawn, their breaths coming fast. It seems like they've been at it for a while. The other fighters were Alfred and Christov. Neither looked like they had much energy left, but still they fought on. Arthur caught my eye. Then he looked at Peter. The gesture didn't go unnoticed.

"Oh honhonhon! What luck!" Francis cried as he turned to face us. "Your lover and your brat."

"You're outnumbered Arthur! Give up!" Antonio prodded.

"Never!" Arthur growled.

"You need to stop!" I shouted at all of them. "The ship is sinking!"

"Then give up!" Francis yelled. "I'm not stopping until I have what I want! Hold her, Toni, while I finish up here."

"Sorry, chica," Antonio said as he grabbed my wrist.

"Let go! I can stop the ship from sinking! Please!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that." There was no remorse in his green eyes. They were so similar yet so different from Arthur's.

I didn't have time for this. The ship was settling lower and lower in the turbulent water. I concentrated on the water below deck and willed it out of the ship. Most of the lower decks were full of water, which made it difficult for me to get it out. My body strained with the effort to move so much water, but the ship slowly began to float higher. I kept at it until the Queen Lady was no longer in danger of sinking, and then willed the water to not come back through the ragged holes in the ship's side. It took a lot of my energy, but it held. My Leviathan charm sizzled as rain landed on its silver surface.

"What are you up to?" Antonio asked.

"Saving...your stupid...bastard...life," I huffed. I didn't have much strength left.

Suddenly, a cry from the other side of the helm where Alfred and Christov had been locked in battle. They were still going at it, and had lots of wounds for their efforts. Christov had lost and ear, and Alfred had several small cuts on his arms. Their blades dripped with the other's blood as the rain pounded on their weary forms. Alfred feigned an attack, and Christov fell for it. Instead of hitting the big man with his fist, Alfred swiped from the other direction with his knife. Victory was in his grasp until the ship heaved violently.

Something collided against the hull. Something big. I watched in horror as a fin the twice the size of the ship emerged from the waves. It circled the ship once before a huge head burst through the surface of the water. A large eye peered down at up from a huge, ugly head. Scales glittered ominously as lightning flashed overhead and illuminated the beast before us.

"The Leviathan," I breathed.

It dived under the water and left an enormous wave in its wake. The water swept over the deck and threatened to capsize the ship I had worked so hard to save. I connected with the water again and forced it to keep the boat upright. My knees were growing weak, but I didn't let up. I wasn't going to let us sink. Someone shouted, and my attention was turned back to where Alfred and Christov were. I looked just in time to see both of them thrown overboard as the water from the Leviathan rushed over the rails.

"Alfreeeeeeed!" I shrieked.

I forced the water to find him. I willed it to search with all of my heart. The charm around my neck began to glow with heat as I used more and more ocean magic. Desperate, I commanded the ocean to be still. It became just a little bit calmer. I gave the command again, and it settled even more. Little by little, minute by minute, the ocean grew calm while my charm grew hot, but I still couldn't find Alfred. All eyes were on me as I refused to give in.

"(Y/n), you have to stop," Arthur said. The wind had blown away his hat, and the rain had plastered his hair to his face. "Please, you're going to hurt yourself."

"I can't...Alfred..."

"(Y/n)! You have to stop!"

"Nooooo!" As I screamed, I sent out one final command to find Alfred. I had to find him. I couldn't give up.

The heat from my charm was unbearable, but I hardly noticed it. I couldn't quit. I couldn't stop. My knees finally gave in, yet I still didn't stop. I could hear voices, but none of it made sense to me. My vision was becoming blurry. I couldn't feel the heat from my charm anymore. Everything was growing numb. I didn't remember falling to the deck, but I must have because everything was flipped to the side. My eyes couldn't focus. Blurry images danced before me as darkness closed in. The only thing I could make out before the darkness consumed everything was the faint, glowing outline of my charm before it burned itself into nonexistence.


	29. Chapter 29

The Captain watched the mermaid fall to the deck. He watched as her eyes rolled around and couldn't seem to focus on anything. His body moved on its own, and he found himself at her side in an instant. Her skin felt unnaturally cold to his touch.

"(Y/n), you have to stay with me. (Y/n)!"

She didn't look at it him. It's like he wasn't even talking. Her eyelids fluttered as she seemed to look everywhere but at him. Her face was completely devoid of expression.

"Please, love. Just look at me. Everything is going to be okay, just look."

No matter how much he pleaded, she didn't glance his way. Her eyes did seem to find something to focus on, and when Arthur looked, he saw it was the Leviathan charm that hung around her neck. The Captain noticed that her skin was red and blistering where the charm usually rested on her chest. He reached out to touch the glowing metal, but it was so hot that he only burned his fingers. Then he watched in horror as the whole thing disintegrated into nothingness.

"No! (Y/n), love, open your eyes! Please!" Arthur gently stroked the mermaid's pale face as her eyes slipped shut. It was cold.

He pressed his ear against her chest and listened for a heartbeat. It was there but faint. The Captain's mind reeled as he tried to think of what to do. He refused to let it end like this. His own heart began to beat sluggishly, and he knew he was running out of time. That's when Arthur remembered something he had seen Cook do to revive someone who had almost drowned. He himself had never attempted it before, but he didn't have time to think about it. The mermaid wasn't breathing, and her heart was slowly giving out.

Arthur placed his hands on her chest and began pumping the way he had seen Cook do it. He tried to keep his pace even and steady. After a little while, he stopped to give her a breath of air before going back to his pumping. It was hard work, but he didn't care. If it was going to save her, he would keep doing it for the rest of his life.

"What is he doing?" he heard Francis whisper.

"He's trying to save her," Antonio replied.

The Captain heard some footsteps and felt a hand on his shoulder. "It's too late, Arthur," Francis said. "You're wasting your time."

"Get away from me."

"But Arthur-"

"GET AWAY!" Arthur glared with the intent to kill at the blue eyed pirate captain, but didn't stop pumping the mermaids heart. "This is your fault! This is all your bloody fault!"

Francis didn't have anything to say to that. He stepped back through the crowd that was beginning to form to stand by Antonio. The two watched tight-lipped as the crews of both ships gathered in a circle around Captain Kirkland and the mermaid. No one said a word as he continued to try to save the person he loved. Beads of sweat were beginning to form on his face, and his breath came in ragged gasps, but he didn't stop.

"Cap'n...yer gonna kill yerself."

"'E's crazy dat one."

"I ain't never seen 'im like this b'fore."

Arthur ignored the voices. He didn't care about what they were saying. All he cared about was keeping the mermaid alive because without her, there was nothing else. It didn't even occur to him that it she died, he would as well. The only thought in his mind was her. She was everything.

"Dang it, Bro, I thought you'd be able to keep things in order while I was gone."

That voice was the only one that made the Captain turn. The crowd parted, and he watched as a soaking wet Alfred strolled up to him like nothing was wrong. Apparently, his younger brother was under that impression until he saw what Arthur was doing.

"How...did you...?" Arthur asked between pumps.

"After I got swept off deck, the ocean just got really calm. It was like the ware was pulling me to the surface," Alfred answered in a daze. "You don't think...Was it her? Is that why she's like this?" The Captain didn't need to answer. "Dang it, (y/n)!" Alfred dropped to his knees. "You weren't supposed to do that! You were supposed to get better."

"I need...your help..."

Alfred glanced toward Arthur with sad eyes. "Yeah?"

"I can't...keep doing this..." Arthur gasped. "You're...going...to have to..."

"I-I...I don't know if I can."

"First mate...doesn't refuse...captain's orders."

It took Alfred a moment to figure out what was going on. "Wait, you're making me first mate? Are you sure?" The Captain nodded, and Alfred returned the gesture. "Okay. I'll do it. I'll do it for (y/n)."

He took over Arthur's job of pumping and breathing, and Arthur sat on the deck to catch his breath. A twinge of jealousy poked his heart when he watched Alfred out his lips on hers, but he inwardly chided himself for it. The boy was keeping her alive. The Captain should be nothing but grateful. He could just imagine how the mermaid would scold him for being so silly at such a time, and his heart clenched in pain.

Time went by, but Arthur couldn't keep track of how much. It could have been five minutes or an hour. All he knew was every minute brought him closer to the inevitable end of his journey. He watched in silence as Alfred struggled to pump the mermaid's heart at a steady rate as sweat dripped down his face.

"I'll take over," the Captain told his brother.

"No...I can...keep going," Alfred managed to get out.

"You'll need a miracle to keep going."

"Did somebody ask for a miracle?!"

The strange voice boomed around the remaining passengers of the Queen Lady. A small ripple formed next to the ship in the otherwise calm ocean, and it grew bigger and bigger until a huge figure erupted out of the water. Water sprayed all over the deck as the whole ship bobbed in the figure's wake. The Captain wiped water out of his eyes before staring up at the gigantic man standing next to the ship. He had bits of seaweed stuck in his dark curly hair and a starfish clinging to the stubble on his face. Bright bronze armor gleamed in the sun as the man brushed bits of coral off of his red cloak.

"The god of the ocean?" Arthur wondered out loud.

"Hmm? Oh, you mean me!" The god was about as tall as the main mast and had to bend over to look at the Captain. "So, I hear you're looking for a miracle. What can I do you for?"

Arthur couldn't believe it. This was exactly what he needed. "The mermaid. I need you to change her back to normal."

The god glanced over at the unconscious mermaid and shook his head. "Can't do it," he said bluntly.

"What?"

"Look at her! She's dying! It's not worth saving a dying person, don't you think? That boy doesn't look like he can keep going much longer. Just let her go."

Despair crashed down on Arthur's chest. His situation must have truly been hopeless if even a god refused to help him, but he wouldn't accept it. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He had come too far to give up now. The words were almost out of his mouth when someone else spoke up.

"I'll go next."

The Captain turned around to see Antonio kneeling beside Alfred. Francis still stood back a ways, but a shocked expression adorned his face. No one had expected this. The curly haired pirate took Alfred's place and began pumping the mermaid's heart. Everyone watched in silence for a moment before a commotion broke out.

"Me next!" James yelled as he stepped forward.

"Then me!" Squeaker called.

"I want to try!" Peter cried as he pushed his way to the front.

"I want ta go as well!" Cook said.

"It's me turn next!"

"No, it's me turn next!"

"Yer all too weak! Ah'll be goin' next, seaweed arms!"

"Not if someone else beats ya to 't!"

"Yer all goin' t' 'ave t' wait till after me!"

Both crews on deck argued over who would keep the mermaid alive next while Antonio pumped. Arthur faced the god with a new resolve. If they refused to let her go, the god was going to have to do what he asked. The huge man watched the commotion on deck with interest, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He noticed the Captain watching.

"You really plan on saving her." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, I do," Arthur replied without hesitation.

"It takes a lot of magic to save a dying person, especially since you want me to change her back into a mermaid. It's going to cost you."

"Name your price."

"That's just the thing." The god sighed. "None of your mortal possessions are really that valuable to me. Gold? Have tons of it. Food? Never hungry. Women? They can't breathe underwater."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Then what is it you want?"

"That's a very good question. If you come up with something I like, I'll save your little mermaid. She's kind of a cutie, isn't she? Maybe I'll just keep her for myself." He laughed.

The Captain really didn't want that to happen, so he had to think fast. He had nothing valuable in his possession except for his ship and whatever gold was still left aboard, both of which he knew the god would not want. There was nothing else of value Arthur owned. Then he had an idea. It was a crazy idea, but sometimes crazy ideas worked the best. If he didn't have anything valuable, he would just have to convince the god what he had was valuable.

"I have something to give you in exchange for your help," he said loudly. Everyone became quiet to see what was going on.

"Oh really? Let me see it."

Captain Kirkland raised his arms. "This."

"Your ship? I have hundreds just like it sunk at the bottom of the ocean. Pass!"

"You misunderstand," Arthur said with a cocky grin. "I'm not giving you my ship. I offer something of much greater worth. In exchange for your help, I'll give you my life."

The god's eyes went wide, and then he laughed. "Oh! That's funny! You humans with your ideas about noble sacrifice! It's so corny!"

"I'm afraid you still misunderstand." That got the god's attention. "I offer you my life as a mortal. There must be times when you grow bored of your immortal life, bored of the responsibility that shackles you to the ocean. You must long to see the rest of the world."

"Interesting," the god mused. "Go on."

"I'm offering you the chance to go and see those things, to leave this life behind. Being mortal gives each day meaning and purpose. Time will no longer slip through your fingers like an endless stream of sand. You will be able to grasp it and make something of it! Make something of yourself!"

"No, no, no! You mustn't go on!" the god cried. "I can barely contain my excitement! You have no idea how long I've dreamed of this! Being a god is so boring!"

"Then you will save her?"

"Yes, yes. But wait. I need someone to take over my job." The god snapped his fingers and began to shrink. He landed nimbly on the deck next to Arthur and smiled. "You can do it!"

Captain Kirkland was taken aback. "W-what?"

"It's perfect! I'm sure you'll do a great job! Pirates love the sea!" the god said excitedly.

"But-"

"It's not even that hard! You just have to kinda keep the peace. Make sure no one is trying to attack my pet Leviathan, keep the ocean clean, sometimes whip up a storm here and there, stuff like that."

"But-"

"You'll do great! I can feel it in my gut!"

"But what about (y/n)?!" Arthur finally burst out.

"Oh! Right. Stand back everyone!" the god called as he walked toward the unconscious mermaid. He had Antonio step aside so he could place a hand on her forehead. A bright greenish blue light glowed beneath his palm, and the air smelled strongly of sea spray. "There. She should be fine now. Just watch."

The words were barely out of his mouth when the mermaid began changing. Her legs glowed with a bright light as they started to join together and slightly elongate. Her feet grew longer and flattened out into a fin. When the change was compete, the light faded to reveal a gleaming blue green tail where her legs had once been. It was so long since Arthur had seen her this way that he thought she looked kind of strange, but she was still as beautiful as ever.

"Ta-dah! You better put her in some water before she dries up," the god said.

There were plenty of volunteers to carry the mermaid below deck to the storage room that still held her bathtub. Then Captain didn't like putting her in there, but it was their best option at the moment. She would soon have the whole ocean to swim in anyway. It pained Arthur to think those thoughts. He tried not to as his crew, along with the crew of the Spanish Armada, cleaned up the debris strewn on deck and attempted to salvage the sails. A strong hand placed on his shoulder startled him out of his thoughts.

"Are you ready to become immortal?" the god of the ocean asked with a big grin.

"I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"I like your attitude! Now, this shouldn't hurt a bit."

Arthur wasn't sure whether to believe him or not, but it was too late to go back on his word. The god's eyes began glowing, and something flowed into the Captain through the god's hand on his shoulder. It wasn't painful, but it wasn't pleasant either. He felt as if something very large was being forced into his body where it shouldn't fit. He also felt extremely powerful. His fist clenched unintentionally, and Arthur could feel the ocean stir in response.

"There! All done!" The former god smiled at the new one. "I'll need a name now that I'm mortal, huh? What should I call myself?" He thought it over for a few moments. "I like the name Rome. I don't know where I got it from, but I like it." He held out his hand to the Captain. "This is one of your human customs, right?"

"Yes, it is," Arthur said as he shook Rome's hand. "The name is Captain Arthur Kirkland. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine!" Rome said as he shook Arthur's hand vigorously. "I should probably tell you that I need a ride to shore. Could you do that for me, Arthur old pal?"

"I'm sure it can be arranged."

"I think your crew wants to talk to you too."

Sure enough, when Captain Kirkland turned around, he saw his crew gathered on deck. Many held things in their hands like they had been working and stopped. Some were still sitting on the masts or coming up from below deck. All of their eyes were on their captain, but Arthur didn't know what to say. He met Alfred's questioning eyes and sighed.

"I suppose this is the end of the line for us."

Shouts of unhappiness followed his statement.

"I have other responsibilities now, and I can no longer be your captain. I appoint Alfred to take my place. He will make a bloody good captain, I'm sure of it."

"Big Bro..." Alfred murmured.

"No! Cap'n! Wait!" James pushed his way through the crowd toward Arthur. "We want t' go wit ya! If ya won't stay 'ere, we'll go wit yew!"

"Yeah!" cried Squeaker from the crow's nest. "We want ya t' be our cap'n, sah!"

Shouts of agreement came from the rest of the crew leaving the Captain speechless. He hadn't expected such loyalty from his men. His eyes met Alfred's again, and the boy nodded. The corner of Arthur's lips tweaked up into a half smile.

"You have to stay, Uncle." Peter came forward and grabbed the front of the Captain's coat.

He had forgotten about Peter. There was no way he could leave. "Are you sure you want to work under the god of the ocean?"

The crowd roared.

"It will not be easy."

They roared again.

"You won't be able to live a normal life."

"No one cares, Cap'n," James said, speaking for everyone. "As long as yer the cap'n, we'd sail t' the end o' the world n' back."

"I don't think you have that much time," Captain Kirkland said softly.

"You could just give them all eternal life too, you know," Rome suggested.

The Captain looked out at his crew. "Are you willing to sail forever with me as your captain?"

The shout that came from the men was the loudest one yet.

"Then I grant the crew of the Queen Lady immortality as long as they work under me." Arthur felt the magic course through his veins and make his words true. He could tell from the faces of the crew that they had felt it as well. "Now, we need a working ship."

The Captain snapped his fingers, and the whole ship came to life. Sails repaired themselves, ropes coiled into neat piles, broken barrels and crates became as good as new, the holes in the side of the ship were filled, and water disappeared as if it had never been there. Arthur thought he was getting pretty good with this whole magic thing, although he could tell it took a tremendous amount of his energy to use. He wouldn't be able to do it all the time, but on this occasion it had been worth it. The Queen Lady looked as good as it did on the first day that he had seen it, if not better.

"Prepare to set sail!" he ordered.

"Arthur." The Captain turned to see Francis and Antonio watching him. "We'd like to apologize," Antonio continued.

"Not that we have anything to be sorry for," Francis huffed. "You sunk both of our ships!"

"Be nice, Francis."

"Humph!"

"You're free to join my crew," Arthur suggested with a smirk.

"Um, no thanks," Antonio said quickly. "We just need to get back to shore. You can let us off wherever you're letting him off." He pointed at Rome.

"As if I would work for someone as unmagnifique as you!"

"I can toss you off my ship and have the Leviathan eat you if you would like."

Francis made a quick escape after that with Antonio close behind. Arthur let himself chuckle at the pair before looking out at the ocean. His quest was compete. Becoming the god of the ocean must have severed his heart-bond because he couldn't sense any of the mermaid's magic surrounding his heart. He was free. It was almost laughable. There was once a time where he had wished to be rid of her. Now it was quite different.

Alfred appeared beside the Captain with a small smile. "It's all over, huh?"

"Yes, it is."

"Are you sure you want me as your first mate now that you have to put up with me forever?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Alfred didn't seem surprised by his brother's answer at all. "Yeah, me either."

* * *

I struggled my way back to consciousness with a strange fierceness. I wasn't actually sure as to why I had to be awake. There was just a small part of me that said it was important for me to be conscious. My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself sitting in a bathtub that had a thin layer of seawater at the bottom. At first I was confused, but I soon remembered everything. The storm, Alfred falling, the charm disappearing. I remembered, but it didn't explain why I was in a tub. My mind raced, and my heart nearly stopped.

Was everything I remembered a dream? Was it some sick joke my head was playing? Was I actually on my way to be sold?

The possibilities swirled around until I started to feel sick. I should have felt ecstatic that I had my beautiful tail back, but I felt nothing but dread. If my memories weren't real, I would have lost more than what any tail could ever mean to me. Without meaning to, I thought of all of my friends and the different people I had thought I met. Peter, James, Squeaker, Alfred, Christov, Lanham, Cutter, Cook, Ojigwa, Ninya, Vladimir, Yao, Kiku, Ivan, and Arthur.

Tears welled in my eyes. I didn't bother to hold them back as they spilled over. The real Arthur wasn't the same as the Arthur I had loved. I loved a figment of my imagination, and now I was left with nothing. My sobs grew louder as my heart grew heavier. It was the sickest twist of fate life had thrown at me after getting me caught on this pirate ship to begin with. I screamed. I screamed and screamed until I couldn't find the strength to continue.

The door to my little room opened, and Arthur stepped inside. He seemed different than the Arthur I remembered. The Arthur I imagined. "What's wrong? Why are you screaming?"

"It doesn't matter," I muttered.

"You scared the bloody daylights out of me and the crew."

"Sorry. It won't happen again."

"What's the matter, love?"

"Just leave me alone!"

I buried my face in my hands and let the tears flow. This was cruel. A sick, twisted joke. I couldn't believe fate was horrid enough to do this to me. To make matters worse, I felt a warm hand rest on my shoulder and another touch the side of my face. I flinched from the touch, but I couldn't escape. The tub and my fin kept me from getting too far.

"(Y/n)? What's wrong, love? Shouldn't you be happy that you're back to normal? You can go home now," Arthur whispered softly.

"W-what?" I uncovered my face to look into his emerald eyes. They were the same as I remembered. "Arthur?"

"Yes, princess?"

"So it wasn't a dream?"

"What are you talking about?"

I explained everything. It came out in one big rush, but I didn't care. I told him how I thought the whole trip was a dream and that I had been in this tub the whole time. I told him how scared I was that I had made everything up and that the person I loved wasn't really real. I went on and on until he laughed. It wasn't a mean-spirited laugh, just slightly amused.

"You have quite the imagination, love."

"So I noticed."

"You did sleep through a few things though."

He filled me in on everything I missed. I listened as he told me about pumping my heart for me and meeting the god of the ocean. He told me about exchanging his mortality to save me and how he became the next god. I was happy to hear that everyone wanted to stay and sail with him as he watched over the ocean, and I was excited to hear that he made Alfred his first mate. It was all more than I could have hoped for. Almost a real happy ending.

"We're in the Sea of Gamn now," he explained. "We just left Wend to drop off Rome, Antonio, and that bastard Francis."

"Isn't this where you found me?"

"Yes, it is."

"This is where I have to go, isn't it?"

He didn't answer for a long time. "Yes."

"Will you carry me?"

Arthur reached into the tub and lifted me out of the shallow water. I wrapped my arms around his neck like the time we had to escape from Francis' ship. We had come full circle. He carried me out of the room and down the hall to the stairs. Everyone watched as we moved across the deck toward the starboard rails. I tried not to look to directly at anyone. I didn't want to cry again.

"(Y/n)." I turned to see Alfred standing beside us.

"Oh, Alfred, I'll miss you so much." I reached out and hugged him. "Take care of Arthur for me. I'm sure you'll make a wonderful first mate."

"I'll do my best," he whispered. His voice cracked on the last word.

"(Y/n)!" Peter arrived next and looked at me with sad blue eyes. "I know you can't stay, so I came to say goodbye."

"I'm sorry, little one." I placed a hand on his head. "Grow up to be big and strong, okay?"

"O-okay."

I looked over Arthur's shoulder at the rest of the crew and waved. "Goodbye, and thank you." It came out in a whisper that I was sure no one heard.

"(Y/n)." Arthur looked down at me with an expression that was enough to break my heart. "(Y/n)..." He couldn't seem to find the words.

"It's okay. Please don't be sad." I touched his cheek gently. "We mermaids live a long time. I'm sure we'll see each other again."

He nodded. I tried to smile for his sake before leaping out of his arms and into the water. It was cool, salty, and comforting. I didn't realize how much I missed moving in the sea. My fin worked perfectly as I glided in the blue depths. I knew which way I had to go to get home, but my body wouldn't move. Before I knew it, I was swimming for the surface. My head broke the water, and I spun in a circle. There it was. The Queen Lady was still floating on the small waves in the exact same spot where it was before. I was afraid it would have set sail already, but it was still there with most of the crew watching me from the railing.

"Arthur!" I cried. I could see him still standing where I left him and called again. "Arthur!"

He stepped up onto the railing and jumped. He didn't even hesitate. The odd thing was that he landed on top of the water like it was solid earth. Apparently, that was a perk that came along with being the god of the ocean. He walked the distance between the two of us. I felt odd with him towering over me, but I couldn't stand next to him even if I had legs.

"I don't want to leave," I said softly.

His eyes widened. "What?"

"I don't want to go. I want to stay with you."

Without a word, he knelt down and offered me his hand. I didn't know what he was up to, but I took it anyway. He pulled me out of the water with little effort. As my tail passed out of the water, I felt a slight tingling sensation, and looked down to see a pair of legs standing on the water instead of my tail. I gasped and looked at Arthur, who was smiling softly at me. He opened his arms, and I leapt into his embrace.

"I love you. I love you."

* * *

"An' that's the story." The pirate sets down his empty mug as he wipes beer foam from his scruffy face.

"What happened next?" one of the men asks. The three had sat transfixed for the last several hours listening to the pirate's tale while he drank several more mugs of beer.

"What do ya mean what 'appened next? That's all there is t' that story."

"But there has to be more!" exclaims the man with blue eyes.

"Suppose there is, but that's another story fer another time." The pirate stands from his table and turns to leave. "The weddin' was perrty nice though. Don't suppose ya landlubbers would want t' 'ear about that, would ya?"

"Yes! Tell us!" the blue eyed man begged.

"Ya better tell 'im or 'e'll never shut up about it," another of the three mumbles.

"Okay, okay. Well, it was maybe a fortnight or two later when-" The pirate stops speaking as the storm outside takes a turn for the worse. A loud, wild shrieking could be heard outside as the wind races through the town. The pirate cocks his head to the side as if listening and sighs. "That be the Cap'n callin'. Best be on me way. He don't like t' be kept waitin'." He hurries his way across the bar.

"Wait!" calls one of the men before the pirate could get out the door. "At least tell us your name!"

Everyone in the pub waits to hear his answer. "Me name, eh? Ah remember when she first asked me me name. Wasn't wearin' a belt an' me trousers kept fallin' down." He chuckles to himself. "Me name is James. Yep, just James."

And with that he steps out into the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are at the end of another story :3 Thank you so very much to everyone who favorited and followed and commented. I appreciate each and every one of you :) This story turned out to be so much more than I imagined it would be when I started, and I really have all of you to thank for that. You responded so well to each and every chapter to which I am very grateful for :D I have to say that this turned into one of my favorite stories, and I hope that's the same for all of you. Thank you all again for your endless support and praise! Please feel free to check out my other stories, but don't wander too far because I have a lot more coming. I hope you're ready for another adventure ;)


End file.
